One week after Edmonton city councillor and mayoral candidate Tim Cartmell missed a vote that would have impacted how infill homes are built in the city, he’s apologizing.
“People were counting on me to be there, and I wasn’t there, I’ve let them down and I’m very sorry for that,” Cartmell said on Tuesday after returning from vacation.
Council had been having a heated debate of whether to reduce the maximum allowable units per infill from eight down to six, after some residents expressed concerns with property values, not enough parking, predatory developers, quality of builds and housing affordability.
The debate spilled over into several days and was going to be extended into the councillors scheduled summer break — something some councillors, including Cartmell, opposed.
“We were anticipating this, I think as far back as the middle of May when our clerk’s office started to check counsellor availability because of this and other time-sensitive items that needed to get through council,” said city councillor Jo-Anne Wright.
Cartmell confirmed he was at the Calgary Stampede on July 3 and 4, but he did attend council meetings virtually those days.
By last Monday’s gathering, however, he was on a planned family vacation on Cape Breton Island in a remote location without internet, that he says he could not delay.
But last Tuesday, by a close vote of six to five — council voted against reducing infill limits.
Those in favour were Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, Councillors Aaron Paquette, Erin Rutherford, Anne Stevenson, Karen Tang, and Jo-Anne Wright.
Councillors Michael Janz, Andrew Knack, Karen Principe, Jennifer Rice and Ashley Salvador voted in opposition.
The two councillors absent were Sarah Hamilton and Tim Cartmell. They were both away on vacation.
Cartmell said he put his family and marriage first.
“Sometimes you look at your partner, and you look in their eyes — and you know that sometimes you can’t put them second again, that you can cancel again,” said Cartmell.
Wright didn’t accept that reasoning.
“I have a family as well, and I know that’s important. I know time off is important. I guess it’s just a matter of organisation, of those multiple priorities,” said Wright.
Edmonton’s mayor also weighted in.
“Anytime someone makes a decision not to show up to work, is the day they are not doing their job,” said Amarjeet Sohi.
“I am glad he recognized this was a mistake.”
Cartmell said this vote result could change in the coming months. City council will be revisiting the conversation on maximum units for infill lots at some point, but that discussion won’t come until public consultation is complete — with a deadline at the beginning of 2027.
In the meantime, the next municipal election is in October and he is gunning for the mayor’s chair.
“No motion that has been made in the last couple of weeks that can’t be rescinded and new motions made in place,” said Cartmell.
“We will get on the other side of this election and fix these things.”
Last Monday, Cartmell’s campaign released a video of him criticizing the process of the infill debate and councillors not respecting time off.
“Putting out that video statement on Monday, criticising the mayor and the rest of council the way the public hearing had been held. Nobody cares about the process. What they care about is the debate, and how councillors vote,” said Edmonton political analyst. John Brennan.
Brennan said the way that this was handled was not good for Cartmell’s campaign — but it could recover.
“I don’t think it’s irreparable. It certainly hurt him personally, it hurt his campaign, they wouldn’t be going to the steps they did today — issuing an apology — if it hadn’t,” Brennan said.
Brennan said he’s waiting on official polling to see how Edmonton voters truly feel about Cartmell missing the meeting.
— With files from Jasmine King and Karen Bartko, Global News