Fred Eisenberger
Encyclopedia
Fred Eisenberger is a Canadian politician. He is a former mayor
of Hamilton, Ontario
, Canada
, having been elected to the position on November 13, 2006. The margin of victory over incumbent Larry Di Ianni
was a mere 452 votes in one of the closest races in Hamilton's history. He served as chair of the Hamilton Port Authority prior to his election in 2006.
, Netherlands
, he emigrated with his family to Canada when he was eight years old. He attended Sir Winston Churchill School in Hamilton. He graduated with honours from Mohawk College
. He has also taken courses at the University of Waterloo
and McMaster University
.
Eisenberger spent three terms as one of two aldermen in Ward 5 from 1991 to 2000. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2000, placing third behind Robert E. Wade
and Bob Morrow
.
He registered, but withdrew from the 2003 mayoral election, due to a ruled conflict of interest by the federal ethics counsellor stemming from the fact that Eisenberger was serving as chair of the Hamilton Port Authority. Faced with the choice of resignation from the board or candidacy in the election, he chose to withdraw from the race.
In the 2004 federal election
, Eisenberger ran for the Conservative Party
in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
, finishing third behind Liberal
Tony Valeri
and New Democrat
Tony DePaulo.
's campaign contributions in 2003. While local media referred often to Eisenberger's 2006 win by 452 votes, few in the media managed to observe that ex-mayor Larry Di Ianni's vote had sharply dropped by 17,000 from 2003--a highly significant factor--from 70,539 to 53,658 votes.
Eisenberger also refused donations from corporations and unions and was outspent four to one by his main opponent (Di Ianni). The local daily paper supported the incumbent but Eisenberger won the election. That incumbent (Di Ianni) had accepted illegal donations in the 2003 campaign in which Eisenberger was not a candidate for mayor. Di Ianni was convicted of that offence. Eisenberger won the subsequent 2006 mayoral election as voters valued the campaign funding stance he'd taken, according to reports of the campaign.
Another major initiative was the creation of the Jobs Prosperity Collaborative, a group of community leaders to help steer Hamilton's economic development. He also proposed that the federal government's newly announced Southern Ontario Development Agency be located in Hamilton.
He championed, and ultimately won support for a deal to buy the Lister Block, a downtown landmark building, and restore it for public use.
He also gained the endorsement of colleagues to implement an anti-idling by-law.
After several years of debate, he gathered financial support from the provincial and federal governments to clean up Randle Reef in Hamilton Harbour, a toxic hotspot from the city's industrial past.
system for Hamilton. As part of Metrolinx, Eisenberger helped improve service on the city's two rapid transit corridors, the north-south A-Line and the east-west B-Line, and was a key force in the establishment of a new GO/VIA station on James Street North that will boost inter-regional connections between Hamilton, the Greater Toronto Area and the Niagara Region
Eisenberger, along with other political appointees, were removed from the board of Metrolinx in 2009
and integrity
back to Hamilton council". In January 2008, Eisenberger publicly criticised councilors who he felt were trying to derail his 2006 campaign promise to bring in an integrity commissioner, but city council voted to implement an integrity commissioner in June 2008.
In July 2008, a leaked tape of a private conversation between Eisenberger and Hamilton Spectator columnist Andrew Dreschel was released to Hamilton Community News, although Eisenberger had previously admonished other council members for leaking info to the media. During his tenure, the mayor has allowed many of his councillors to walk away unscathed from clear violations of the city's code of conduct
. In September 2008, council cleared him of any wrongdoing, and an investigator found that he had been acting in the public interest and that his motives were "wholly proper" and in a manner consistent with the Mayor's duties under Section 226.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001, though technically violating the code of conduct.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, having been elected to the position on November 13, 2006. The margin of victory over incumbent Larry Di Ianni
Larry Di Ianni
Larry Di Ianni served as mayor of Hamilton, Ontario, from 2003 to 2006.-Early life:Di Ianni immigrated to Canada from Italy as a young boy. Di Ianni has previously worked as a high school teacher and principal...
was a mere 452 votes in one of the closest races in Hamilton's history. He served as chair of the Hamilton Port Authority prior to his election in 2006.
Background
Born in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, he emigrated with his family to Canada when he was eight years old. He attended Sir Winston Churchill School in Hamilton. He graduated with honours from Mohawk College
Mohawk College
Mohawk College is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology located in the Golden Horseshoe of Ontario, Canada. Mohawk has three main campuses: the Fennell Campus located in Hamilton, the Brantford Campus located in Brantford and the STARRT Institute located in Stoney Creek, as well as the...
. He has also taken courses at the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
and McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
.
Eisenberger spent three terms as one of two aldermen in Ward 5 from 1991 to 2000. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2000, placing third behind Robert E. Wade
Robert E. Wade
Robert E. Wade served as mayor of Hamilton, Ontario from 2000 to 2003. He currently resides in the Hamilton community of Ancaster.Robert Wade moved to Ancaster from London, Ontario in 1960 after his employer London Life Insurance Company transferred him. He was first elected to the Ancaster Town...
and Bob Morrow
Bob Morrow
Robert Maxwell Morrow UE is a Canadian politician, who served as mayor of Hamilton, Ontario from 1982 to 2000. He was the longest-serving mayor in the city's history....
.
He registered, but withdrew from the 2003 mayoral election, due to a ruled conflict of interest by the federal ethics counsellor stemming from the fact that Eisenberger was serving as chair of the Hamilton Port Authority. Faced with the choice of resignation from the board or candidacy in the election, he chose to withdraw from the race.
In the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, Eisenberger ran for the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.The riding was formed in 2003 from parts of the former ridings of Hamilton East and Stoney Creek....
, finishing third behind Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Tony Valeri
Tony Valeri
Tony Valeri, PC is a former Canadian politician. Valeri was the Canadian Government House Leader in Paul Martin's government from 2004 until 2006...
and New Democrat
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
Tony DePaulo.
2006 mayoral election
During the campaign Eisenberger stated that elected officials should be limited from serving more than two consecutive terms of office without a one-term break. One of the key planks of his platform was a proposal to hire an independent integrity officer to help restore public trust in city hall, following the controversy around Larry Di IanniLarry Di Ianni
Larry Di Ianni served as mayor of Hamilton, Ontario, from 2003 to 2006.-Early life:Di Ianni immigrated to Canada from Italy as a young boy. Di Ianni has previously worked as a high school teacher and principal...
's campaign contributions in 2003. While local media referred often to Eisenberger's 2006 win by 452 votes, few in the media managed to observe that ex-mayor Larry Di Ianni's vote had sharply dropped by 17,000 from 2003--a highly significant factor--from 70,539 to 53,658 votes.
Eisenberger also refused donations from corporations and unions and was outspent four to one by his main opponent (Di Ianni). The local daily paper supported the incumbent but Eisenberger won the election. That incumbent (Di Ianni) had accepted illegal donations in the 2003 campaign in which Eisenberger was not a candidate for mayor. Di Ianni was convicted of that offence. Eisenberger won the subsequent 2006 mayoral election as voters valued the campaign funding stance he'd taken, according to reports of the campaign.
Economic development
As part of his campaign, Eisenberger wanted to reform economic development in Hamilton, including a boost to the department's budget. He sought and won support for this initiative which involves hiring new staff and developing a marketing campaign to help promote Hamilton.Another major initiative was the creation of the Jobs Prosperity Collaborative, a group of community leaders to help steer Hamilton's economic development. He also proposed that the federal government's newly announced Southern Ontario Development Agency be located in Hamilton.
Environment and sustainable development
Eisenberger has proposed a downtown pedestrian plaza to increase pedestrian activity in the core of Hamilton.He championed, and ultimately won support for a deal to buy the Lister Block, a downtown landmark building, and restore it for public use.
He also gained the endorsement of colleagues to implement an anti-idling by-law.
After several years of debate, he gathered financial support from the provincial and federal governments to clean up Randle Reef in Hamilton Harbour, a toxic hotspot from the city's industrial past.
Public transit
Eisenberger was a founding board member for the provincial transportation agency, Metrolinx and is a leading proponent for a new light rapid transitLight Rapid Transit
The name Light Rapid Transit is used by specific light rail systems, either as an official name or otherwise:* Please see List of tram and light-rail transit systems.-See also:* Light Rail Transit* light railway* light rail* tram/streetcar* Premetro...
system for Hamilton. As part of Metrolinx, Eisenberger helped improve service on the city's two rapid transit corridors, the north-south A-Line and the east-west B-Line, and was a key force in the establishment of a new GO/VIA station on James Street North that will boost inter-regional connections between Hamilton, the Greater Toronto Area and the Niagara Region
Eisenberger, along with other political appointees, were removed from the board of Metrolinx in 2009
Ethics and integrity
Since winning the 2006 election, Eisenberger has pursued policies that he describes as "bringing ethicsEthics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and integrity
Integrity
Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions...
back to Hamilton council". In January 2008, Eisenberger publicly criticised councilors who he felt were trying to derail his 2006 campaign promise to bring in an integrity commissioner, but city council voted to implement an integrity commissioner in June 2008.
In July 2008, a leaked tape of a private conversation between Eisenberger and Hamilton Spectator columnist Andrew Dreschel was released to Hamilton Community News, although Eisenberger had previously admonished other council members for leaking info to the media. During his tenure, the mayor has allowed many of his councillors to walk away unscathed from clear violations of the city's code of conduct
Code of Conduct
A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the responsibilities of or proper practices for an individual, party or organization. Related concepts include ethical codes and honor codes....
. In September 2008, council cleared him of any wrongdoing, and an investigator found that he had been acting in the public interest and that his motives were "wholly proper" and in a manner consistent with the Mayor's duties under Section 226.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001, though technically violating the code of conduct.