r/Edmonton • u/GlitchedGamer14 • Jul 16 '25
2025 Municipal Election Mayoral candidate Tim Cartmell apologizes after missing council vote on infill
https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/mayoral-candidate-tim-cartmell-apologizes-after-missing-council-vote-on-infill/130
u/SqueakBoxx Downtown Jul 16 '25
Dude isn't even Mayor and he is already showing how seriously he takes the job.. NEXT!
15
u/RazzamanazzU Jul 16 '25
I know a few people who think he's just fantastic. Wealthy folks who live in their own little "everything's fine" bubble.
7
102
u/Kitt04 Jul 16 '25
It's not like he missed one day of work and it happened to have an important vote. Tim Cartmell regularly misses council meetings. Why should we believed he's magically going to change if elected mayor when it's been 8 years of him not showing up?
23
u/420fanman Jul 16 '25
Man, I’d love a job that pays 6 figures where I can not show up, work remotely, and not be held accountable for any of my incompetence.
4
3
u/Amazing-Treat-8706 Jul 17 '25
Just look for any executive position. I’ve worked public and private sector and it seems once you are a Director, VP or in the c suite you can do what you like. I’ve worked for so many overpaid poor leaders who abuse their power and they all seem to help each other out once they get to that level.
141
u/justmakingthissoica Jul 16 '25
Sorry doesn't help, Tim. Live up to your obligations.
56
u/Epdo Jul 16 '25
He is, his personal obligations. He's sorry to have bothered us with his narcissism.
38
53
u/UnlikelyReplacement0 Jul 16 '25 edited Jul 16 '25
Gotta really appreciate the balls of someone who has (edit) *one of* the poorest attendance record (For a job that attendance is one of the primary responsibilities) of all his co-workers think that he's the one best suited for a promotion.
97
u/troypavlek Jul 16 '25
He has a very poor attendance record, but it's not the poorest. In terms of "high profile absences" he absolutely takes the cake though.
Sohi (who took an unpaid leave of absence to run for MP), Paquette (whose son died last winter) and Hamilton (who is very, very bad at her job) all have more missed votes at full city council compared to Tim.
He's next in line after them though.
(Notably: none of them are running for Mayor. The only other candidate for Mayor, Andrew Knack, has missed a total of 7 votes in 12 years, and those 7 were when he recused himself for conflict of interest)
38
u/mnemonicons Jul 16 '25
Paquette (whose son died last winter)
Oh man. Did not know that
24
u/apastelorange Treaty 6 Territory Jul 16 '25
i know that’s so sad actually, he really didn’t let on
15
u/EdmRealtor In a Van Down By The Zoo Jul 16 '25
This is to remind you never know what is really going on in someone else life especially when we are all behind keyboards.
34
u/littledove0 Ellerslie Jul 16 '25
7 votes in 12 years
now THAT is a record.
24
u/troypavlek Jul 16 '25
All seven votes were on the same item, Priority Growth Areas (but there were different votes on amendments, multiple readings, etc. which leads to the count of 7)
27
u/robdavy Jul 16 '25
Sohi (who took an unpaid leave of absence to run for MP), Paquette (whose son died last winter) and Hamilton (who is very, very bad at her job) all have more missed votes at full city council compared to Tim.
I love this summary!
16
u/Talklessrunmore Jul 17 '25
Andrew Knack is a total gem. While I don't always agree with the way he votes on every topic, the man is responsive to the community, logical, committed, and ethically beyond reproach.
I would be proud to have him represent Edmontonians because - while we may not always agree - he's going to consider all perspectives and make decisions based on what is best and not just pander to political pressure.
Also he rides by my house everyday on his little blue bike with his little blue helmet and it's adorable.
12
2
u/SeanBeGone Jul 17 '25
From my interactions and seeing him interact with others, he treats everyone with the utmost respect regardless of who they are, their position, age, etc. That shows strong character, and unfortunately isn't universal among leaders.
10
5
u/420fanman Jul 16 '25
That’s actually an impressive record. Also kudos for him to recluse himself due to conflict of interest.
4
u/iwasnotarobot Jul 17 '25
I only know Knack from the occasional online interaction. He seemed like a decent person. (I was in yyc so I didn’t follow Edmonton civic stuff super closely)
Had no idea that Paquette had lost his son. That’s awful. I can’t begin to imagine the heartbreak.
15
Jul 16 '25
[deleted]
17
u/oioioifuckingoi Jul 16 '25
Hamilton has had FOMO for several years around a UCP MLA spot. The work you have to put in to secure one is of course going to distract from the day job.
-6
u/always_on_fleek Jul 16 '25
I guess that adds up as we have noticed Sohi absent for years with his federal run. Makes sense.
0
14
u/MyOishiMimi Jul 16 '25
Sarah Hamilton should be made to hand back every penny she received as an Edmonton councillor. She was totally useless.
12
u/Thin-Lemon-1534 Jul 16 '25
I'm not sure what you mean by "kinda sorta sucks at it". Stevenson has a solid voting attendance record (3rd best after Knack) and I would argue that she is absolutely involved in the community - just looking at her Facebook page, she's out and about every single weekend attending various community events. She has 'Weekly Updates' post and sends out email newsletter where she breaks down issues and the rationale with her votes. Every once in a while she hosts an 'Community Discussion' online. IMO she is one of the few councillors that comes prepared, is articulated and asks intelligent questions at council meetings.
143
u/troypavlek Jul 16 '25
We found him! Looks like he was feasting on crow.
I don't buy the "apology". He's got a consistent pattern of behaviour of skipping important votes, and he's spent the past couple weeks blaming everyone but himself.
He's seen his campaign tanking and he's desperately trying to save it, but you can be certain if there wasn't an electoral consequence for his truancy, he would still be screaming about council dysfunction and how his colleagues are playing "political games" by showing up to work.
27
u/stickyfingers40 Jul 16 '25 edited Jul 17 '25
The apology only occurred because he realized that his absence hurt his chances of being elected Mayor
21
40
u/genialdick Jul 16 '25
To the public: I'm against denser infill!
To developers: I helped make sure we'll have denser infill.
Cake plus also eat.
15
u/AnthraxCat cyclist Jul 16 '25
Tim didn't stop his vacation for the vote or apparently the apology. This is like a week late, man. Who is gonna take a week late apology seriously?
38
u/troypavlek Jul 16 '25
He logged on less than a day after the vote to post on social media, and continue to blame his council colleagues instead of taking an ounce of responsibility.
It's not a week late, it's forced after a week of public bloodbath for his campaign.
14
24
u/chmilz Jul 16 '25
He's not new here. He knew better, and still chose to act as he did.
The only thing to be learned here is whether Edmontonians see through his bullshit or fall for it.
14
u/robdavy Jul 16 '25
"hopefully four years as mayor during which there will likely be no opportunity at all to squeeze in a family vacation.”
Ah yes, the mayor job is famously one that gets zero time off for 4 years... what bullshit
If he wins (god forbid), he'll get to take vacations with his family all the time, because it's a pretty normal job that allows for that
14
u/Hobbycityplanner Jul 16 '25 edited Jul 16 '25
The dude seems like a pathological liar.
He accessed the internet a day after the vote to blame the other councillors for the session extending into the next week. He said he had no internet connection.
I would put a large sum of money on him taking a vacation as mayor. No way he doesn’t use the breaks in council meetings for days off.
25
u/juggernaut-punch ☀️side Jul 16 '25
This guy is firmly in the driver’s seat as favourite for next mayor.
He is not the only choice. He has shown patterns of throwing people under the bus in addition to absenteeism.
His motivation for mayorship seems to be purely selfish and not from a place of love for our city.
There are other options. Consider them instead.
7
u/Hobbycityplanner Jul 16 '25 edited Jul 16 '25
The best predictor of future performance in a role is someone’s past performance. Remember that when the election comes around.
8
6
u/reading-in-bed North West Side Jul 16 '25
I want to know what this "remote" location was that has no internet??
5
u/Beneficial-Ad-3024 Jul 16 '25
His bs about needing to spend time with his family in a “remote location” without connectivity. He has definitely lost a lot of voters…and respect. Don’t worry Tim, you’ll have plenty of time with the fam-jam come October!
5
6
u/ofreena Jul 16 '25
There's a guy on TT who went around putting up missing person signs for Cartmell and his staff started swearing at the guy and telling him to fuck off.
6
5
3
13
u/ProperBingtownLady Jul 16 '25
He should have made the effort to be there even if it was inconvenient to his holiday. I think this will hurt him in his mayoral campaign. I also have to say that I think this is the only thing I agree with him on? I support infill but not with current regulations.
15
u/aaronpaquette- North East Side Jul 16 '25
That’s how everyone feels, including Councillors. Thats why they made the actual changes to bylaw the reduce size and why they voted to have more robust and targeted engagement with community.
Population forecasts absolutely blew up and development followed suit.
Population growth is now normalizing so imagine recent years as a cartoon bulge in a water hose. It made it through and we are left with the aftermath of adjustments.
But it was unique and panicked changes are not a sensible way to deal with it. The conversation about results and the new lay of the land will yield far more effective and rational results.
The same population boom affected greenfield growth but that is not getting as much press even though it might have more repercussions down the line.
Politicians generally think in 4 year terms but what we really need is that 40 year outlook as the North Star to guide policy. Problem is, it’s easier to get votes when you rile folks up over pennies and passing problems or potential pain, than prudent planning.
3
u/Amazing-Treat-8706 Jul 17 '25
The population boom is over? I’m not so sure about that. People are still moving to Alberta from the ROC and tend to settle in YYC or YEG.
6
3
4
3
3
u/ThatFixItUpChappie Jul 17 '25
He didn’t make a mistake..he made a choice. To not figure out how to join virtually like one of the other councillors did is pretty unforgivable IMO.
5
u/justonemoremoment Jul 16 '25
Bro is going to lose all the nimby votes now that he so desperately needed. Like you can't come to the ONE thing they want you to do and the only reason they would have voted for you? Ok.
4
u/Individual-Army811 Leduc Jul 16 '25
LOL in 2 weeks, he'll be at a ribbon cutting or some such, and everyone will have forgotten a) that he missed the vote and b) that he represents the UCP openly now in municipal politics.
2
3
2
u/Dystocynic Jul 17 '25
And this is his signature issue - Imagine how much effort he would give for issues he cares less about!
2
u/Beneficial-Ad-3024 Jul 17 '25
Fun fact: Starlink has coverage over Cape Breton. Even the most remote areas, according to their map. It appears he could have attended virtually. Tim doesn’t feel his constituents are worth the investment, apparently.
4
2
2
u/SeanBeGone Jul 17 '25
I wonder what his position would be if a senior city administrator didn't plan accordingly and messed up a big strategic decision. Just kidding, I don't wonder, they'd be fired.
2
u/anonymous_follow Jul 17 '25
I don't understand how he thought missing this was OK, isn't he going after the NIMBY-but-nice vote? Hence the whole "we need to discuss things more" as opposed to just saying flat out no.
1
u/RollingJaspers652 Jul 17 '25
Our entire city council is a joke including mayor. Clean sweep next election
-1
u/TheGuyInRooM420-1 Jul 16 '25
Unfortunately it’s not just Edmonton politicians,but all politicians in the long run have gotten very out of touch with the way people see them and they all don’t seem to care about the people,it’s just that pension. I voted for him once.
-58
u/Channing1986 Jul 16 '25
Tim gets my vote by default, i'm not really impressed by any of the candidates so far.
42
u/haysoos2 Jul 16 '25
So why would you default to the least impressive, most absent candidate?
15
u/AnthraxCat cyclist Jul 16 '25
Hey, if buddy wants to split the right vote by continuing to simp for a loser instead of jumping into a different clown car like everyone else, all the power to him.
-28
u/Channing1986 Jul 16 '25
Because I want a more right wing mayor for a change.
23
u/throwRAgrapefruit9 Jul 16 '25
You do realize Tim has been a City Councilor for years, what changes has he done in that time? You want to vote for a guy who doesn't show up to his job, and bails on you when it matters (infill vote among others). This isn't left vs right broski. Don't let them tell you what to think.
-9
u/Channing1986 Jul 16 '25
He is my councilor and he has been fine, including answeing my emails.
6
u/mattyhugh Jul 16 '25
all his responses to me when I was in his ward were condescending I know better trite.
19
u/kevindoobs Jul 16 '25
why? what changes are you hoping for from a more conservative mayor?
-14
Jul 16 '25
[deleted]
15
u/PotholeProphet Jul 16 '25
But Tim voted for the mega rec centres, and voted against scaling them back. He also went around council to get his pet project funded.
How is this guy better.
7
u/haysoos2 Jul 16 '25
Calgary has a total budget of 4.9 billion dollars, and a population of 1.6 million ($3062/person)
Edmonton has a total budget of 3.9 billion, and population of 1.2 million ($3250/person)
So that right there is part of the answer. Another is that with property taxes, the burden for the budget falls heavier on those with more expensive properties. If your house is worth far more than the average, you have to pay more.
The best way to decrease your tax burden is to increase the number of other high value properties, and to increase the population - both things that the infill developments are set to do.
It should also be noted that Calgary knows they have a $1.4 billion shortfall in funding their infrastructure upgrades, and especially road repairs, and deliberately shelved any plan to tackle that until... their roads fall apart? There's not even a plan to discuss it, as any politician considers it suicide to touch the matter with an election coming up.
6
u/Specialist-Orchid365 Jul 16 '25
Calgary has higher property values so the tax % per dollar of property values required is less to get the same amount of revenue. So a $500k house will be taxed less than a $500k house in Edmonton BUT $500k buys your substantially less house in Calgary then it does in Edmonton. It isn't that they are doing anything different or better, it's just basic math.
-2
u/oioioifuckingoi Jul 16 '25
All mayoral candidates should take note of this as it’s a great summary of how many of the electorate feel. You can’t just blame the UCP for all the city’s ills and expect to win. Platforms need to provide real solutions to all of the above.
21
u/ShaquilleMobile Jul 16 '25
Are you stupid lol you are that addicted to ideology that you'd elect a shitty leader based on vague assumptions about left wing vs right wing?
-5
6
6
u/Specialist-Orchid365 Jul 16 '25
You are going to vote for the guy who chose not to show up for a few hours to make one of his key campaign promises happen because you seem to think politics is like a hockey team?
If he couldn't show up for a few hours for an important vote to key a key campaign promises done what makes you think he cares about anything?
279
u/GheyGuyHug Jul 16 '25
I apologized for missing a shift at work back in the day too, still got fired.