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See also: Halifax Regional Municipality municipal election, 2008
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Peter J. Kelly
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56th Mayor of Halifax
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Walter Fitzgerald |
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4th Mayor of Bedford
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| In office 1991 – 1996 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Christie |
| Succeeded by | N/A |
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Peter J. Kelly is the current mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Kelly is the second mayor of HRM, serving in this capacity since defeating the incumbent, Walter Fitzgerald in 2000.[1] He was re-elected by a massive majority in 2004.[2]
Kelly was active in the municipal politics of Bedford, Nova Scotia and served as that town's last mayor prior to the amalgamation of Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996. From 1996-2000 he served as a municipal councillor on the Halifax Regional Council.
A proponent of public transportation in the growing metro area, he is an advocate of commuter rail on existing and abandoned railway corridors in the area. He is also in favour of high speed ferry links between various locations on Halifax Harbour with the downtown central business district.
Kelly has been deeply involved in the process that saw the beginning of the Halifax Harbour cleanup process, set to see sewage treatment facilities open in 2006 after 250 years of treatment-free sewage in the harbour. Kelly has faced criticism for the failure of the Halifax Harbour Solutions treatment plant that malfunctioned on January 14, 2009. A $400,000 forensic report was conducted to determine what happened. Kelly drew further criticism when he refused to release the preliminary report that cost taxpayers about $100,000 of the $400,000 expense, citing that the report is secret because it is preliminary and not definitive, though he has said it's been released Dexter Construction and Degremont Ltee, the company Halifax hired to create the sewage treatment plant. [3]
Some critics, such as his challenger in the 2004 election, have charged that he has ignored downtown Halifax, to the detriment of the entire region's economic growth and has taken to micro-managing the city rather than providing a broad strategic view. Kelly responds that he has attempted to balance his attention between all areas of HRM as is his mandate.
Kelly won 100,625 votes in the 2004 election. His closest rival, Victor Syperek, a local businessman vowing to focus on the downtown core, won 12,448. Mike Flemming, a school board trustee, and Ernie Brennan, a city planner, finished with 6,994 and 2,254 votes respectively. Together, the three challengers received just 20 percent of the vote.
Kelly was re-elected for a third term as mayor in the 2008 municipal election.[4]
Kelly also has a history of making, and winning, bets with CBRM Mayor John W. Morgan regarding the ongoing hockey rivalry between the Halifax Mooseheads and the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.
References
- ^ Simpson, Jeffrey, "Kelly romps in HRM," Halifax-Chronicle Herald, October 22, 2000.
- ^ Pugsley-Fraser, Amy, "Kelly wins in landslide," Halifax-Chronicle Herald, October 17, 2004.
- ^ http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/peter-kelly-wears-the-sewage-disaster/Content?oid=1150863
- ^ Kelly wins 3rd term as Halifax mayor,CBC News. October 18, 2008.
External links
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