‘Only dead fish go with the flow’: Terry Whitehead bows out of Hamilton politics
After 19 years on Hamilton city council, Terry Whitehead has opted to sit the next election out, citing his deteriorating health and other personal challenges.
His longtime role as west Mountain representative has made for a humbling responsibility," Whitehead said in a news release Friday.
Throughout this time, I've done my utmost to represent the concerns of residents here and across the city; to hold council and staff accountable by asking tough questions and seeking clarity on issues many would rather have swept under the rug."
But the past two years brought new and greater challenges" than he expected.
Family illnesses, the loss of loved ones, and my own declining health - all exacerbated by the trials we faced together during the pandemic," the statement read.
The toll it took has been lasting to say the least, which is why I know it's time for me to take a step back, and not seek re-election as your councillor this upcoming election. At this point, for myself and my loved ones there can be no other choice."
Whitehead - who served most of his time in Ward 8 and then Ward 14 after boundaries were redrawn - was known for his combative demeanour during his time on council.
Last year, he spent months on sick leave for an illness he described as affecting his cognitive skills but didn't share a diagnosis.
Whitehead has spoken of an incurable problem" that led to mental-health issues, including depression and anxiety.
In November, the city's integrity commissioner docked him 30 days of pay after a probe found he bullied and harassed staff, which involved, in particular, an aggressive barrage of rapid-fire questions" directed at the transportation operations director during a public meeting.
Council also agreed to limit Whitehead's communication to the city's most senior staff and bar him from serving as chair or vice-chair of committees.
The integrity commissioner sanctioned him again in June, this time docking 45 days of pay after an investigation found he harassed staff and a fellow councillor.
That report focused on Whitehead's interaction with the city clerk, a phone message left with the head of human resources and a chat message to Coun. Judi Partridge during a remote council meeting.
In both cases, he rejected the commissioner's conclusions and argued he'd been unfairly targeted.
They took me when I was in my most vulnerable situation, health wise, and they made it far worse," he told The Spectator. And they keep piling on."
Whitehead, however, displayed increasingly disruptive behaviour this year, interrupting city officials, clashing with them and launching into angry rants.
Coun. John-Paul Danko declared one protracted, vitriol-filled meeting an embarrassment" calling his Mountain colleague's behaviour toxic to our municipality."
Most recently, council asked staff to draft a safety plan" to guard against unwanted interactions with Whitehead.
In his statement Friday, he suggested he could have taken an easier path.
Tempting and vastly more comfortable though it would have been to keep my head down and appease the loudest and most demanding voices or special interests, that's never been who I am.
It's never been politics as usual for me. I often found myself at odds with the status quo, not making decisions to be popular on council but because I truly believed they would be the right choices for us all."
Whitehead told Ward 14 constituents he's genuinely proud" of their accomplishments: the Chedoke Twin Pad Arena; William Connell Park and its Winter Wonderland"; a golf program for youth; a rental housing pilot.
Serving as your councillor has been the greatest honour I could imagine," he added, pointing out his high accessibility to constituents during nearly monthly meet-and-greets at Westcliffe Mall.
Seven Ward 14 candidates registered by Friday's deadline to run in the Oct. 24 election: Kojo Damptey, Brian Lewis, Colleen Wicken, Michael Spadafora, Christine Seketa, Don Ross and Christopher Poole.
This is a pivotal time for our ward and our city, Whitehead added in his statement, and the next council has some big decisions to make. Only dead fish go with the flow, and we need a councillor willing and capable of swimming against the current to represent the priorities of our ward."
He thanked constituents for their support. As I head into a period of healing and rest for myself, I look forward to seeing what the next chapter holds for our ward and our city!"
Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com