Sam Katz
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Samuel Michael Katz (born August 20, 1951) is a Canadian businessman and former politician who was the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba from 2004 to 2014. He is the owner of the Winnipeg Goldeyes and a member of the
Order of Manitoba The Order of Manitoba (french: Ordre du Manitoba) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Instituted in 1999 when Lieutenant Governor Peter Liba granted Royal Assent to The Order of Manitoba Act, the order is administe ...
. He was the president of the short-lived National Basketball League.


Life before mayorship

Katz was born in
Rehovot Rehovot ( he, רְחוֹבוֹת ''Rəḥōvōt'', ar, رحوڤوت ''Reḥūfūt'') is a city in the Central District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. In it had a population of . Etymology Israel Belkind, founder of the Bilu movement, ...
, Israel. He emigrated to Winnipeg in November 1951 as an infant with his parents, Chaim and Zena Katz, and his older brother, David, and was raised in North Winnipeg. Shortly after graduating in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Manitoba, he opened a retail clothing store in
Brandon, Manitoba Brandon () is the second-largest city in the province of Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the southwestern corner of the province on the banks of the Assiniboine River, approximately west of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, and east of the ...
. Throughout his career he continued his entrepreneurial ventures in real estate and entertainment. His entertainment company, Showtime Productions Inc., brought artists such as Tina Turner, the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
, and Paul McCartney, and musicals such as ''
Evita Evita may refer to: Arts * Evita (1996 film), ''Evita'' (1996 film), a 1996 American musical drama film based on the 1976 concept album of the same name * Evita (2008 film), ''Evita'' (2008 film), a documentary about Eva Péron * Evita (album), ''E ...
'', '' Les Misérables'' and '' The Phantom of the Opera'' to Winnipeg. In 1994, he brought professional baseball back to Winnipeg with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, who now play in the
American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...
. Through this franchise, he arranged for the construction and success of
Shaw Park Shaw Park (formerly CanWest Global Park) is a baseball stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is located adjacent to The Forks, near the city's downtown, and is home to the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association. Features Shaw Park h ...
in 1999. Katz was also founder of the Winnipeg Goldeyes Field of Dreams Foundation, an organization that has donated more than a $900,000 to children's charities and non-profit organizations in Manitoba.


Mayor of Winnipeg (2004-2014)

On June 22, 2004, Katz was elected mayor of Winnipeg, beating
Dan Vandal Daniel Vandal (born April 18, 1960) is a Métis Canadian politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He represented St. Boniface on the Winnipeg City Council from 1995 to 2004 and from 2006 to 2014, and ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Winnipeg in ...
, Al Golden, and
MaryAnn Mihychuk MaryAnn Mihychuk (born February 27, 1955) is a Canadian politician from Manitoba. She was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 2015, representing the riding of Kildonan—St. Paul for the Liberal Party of Canada, and served as Min ...
and receiving 42% of the vote. This came after Glen Murray's resignation as mayor to run in the 2004 federal election. Katz was reelected in the
2006 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2006. * Elections in 2006 * Electoral calendar 2006 * 2006 Acehnese regional election * 2006 American Samoan legislative election * 2006 Bahraini parliamentary election * 2006 Costa Rican presidenti ...
with 61.60% of the vote. He was elected to a third term in the 2010 elections with 55% of the vote.


Mayoral decisions


Aboriginal Community

Katz assumed the role of Secretary of Urban Aboriginal Affairs in 2008. In 2009, Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) President David Chartrand and Sam Katz launched “It’s My Community Too”. Katz pledged $3 million for aboriginal youth over three years beginning in 2009.


Advisory boards

Katz created the Mayor's Seniors Advisory Committee in 2007. Katz also created the citizen-led Police Advisory Board. Councillors Jenny Gerbasi, Mike Pagtakhan, Harvey Smith, Lillian Thomas and Dan Vandal voted in opposition to this board because it meets behind closed doors. In 2009, Katz hosted ''Mayor’s Symposium – A Sustainable Winnipeg''. This symposium was a surprise to some residents because Katz has been critiqued for his approach to the environment and sustainability.


Economy

In 2005, Katz cut the business tax by 20%. Katz created a Special Events Marketing Fund for conferences and special events.


Efficiency at City Hall

First, the Mayor's Red Tape Commission recommended 30 recommendations to cut
red tape Red tape is an idiom referring to regulations or conformity to formal rules or standards which are claimed to be excessive, rigid or redundant, or to bureaucracy claimed to hinder or prevent action or decision-making. It is usually applied to g ...
. One of the recommendations of the commission was to implement ''311''. It was operational by January 2009. Expenditures have been posted on Winnipeg.ca since 2007. In 2009, Katz unveiled ''Plan Winnipeg'', a 25-year blueprint for the future.


Environment

In 2008, Katz committed to a 20% reduction in corporate municipal greenhouse gases. In April 2009 a ''Mayor’s Symposium – A Sustainable Winnipeg'' was held and kicked off www.speakupwinnipeg.com, a collaborative approach to city planning that is socially, environmentally and financially sustainable.


Infrastructure

The Province of Manitoba and The City of Winnipeg negotiated a new infrastructure agreement with the Federal Government and the Provincial Government that included an increase of $50 million over two years (2006–08). Katz endorses the use of P3s (Public, Private Partnership) to fund roads, bridges and paths. This method is reported to have ensured the Charleswood Bridge project (completed in 1995 during Mayor Susan Thompson's term) was built on time and on budget. (Katz had nothing to do with the Charleswood Bridge project, which long preceded his involvement in City Hall.)


Property taxes

In 2009, Katz pledged to keep property taxes in Winnipeg frozen for the 12th straight year. The policy was applauded by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, but has been criticized by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, which, in their 2010 Alternative Budget, said "the semblance of a property tax freeze is only made possible with less transparent tax increases to pick up the slack of fiscal irresponsibility."


Recreation

Katz supported an indoor soccer facility in The City of Winnipeg. Although controversial, he also championed having a waterpark in Winnipeg.


Safety

Katz welcomed a bylaw enacted in 2005 to restrict aggressive panhandling. He also committed to alternative options for at-risk youth including participation in sports and activities in community centres as a preventative measure. In 2007, Katz appointed Winnipeg Chief of Police Keith McCaskill. Katz increased the Winnipeg Police Department budget from $140 million to $160 million, which is 20% of the Operating Budget. Operation Clean Sweep became a permanent entity, which is supported by the established permanent Street Crime Unit. After touring New York City, Katz was interested in the creation and implementation of Crimestat, an interactive system to provide up-to-date information to help protect citizens. Katz supported a graffiti control bylaw to stop the sale and possession of spray paint to minors. Katz supported a Winnipeg auto theft suppression strategy as a way to crack down on auto theft.


Transportation

Construction of the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor started in summer 2009. A transit strike was averted in 2008. Katz has said that Winnipeg should take full advantage of being the mid-continent trade corridor.


Criticism

Katz was the subject of criticism after a P3 deal was tabled and provisionally accepted a 30-year deal with Veolia to manage Winnipeg's waste water. After referring to Winnipeg's five female Olympic medal winners as "beautiful females" whose close-up presence made him "feel like
Hugh Hefner Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obsc ...
", Katz was criticized by a women's studies professor at the University of Manitoba. Reaction from the citizens of Winnipeg was mixed. Katz is the target of humour in a song by
The Consumer Goods ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
. Their song "And the Final Words are Yours, Sam Katz" was entered in medium rotation at a number of local radio stations and offers Katz ironic sympathy for the difficulties of running "a city, a business and a baseball team", the use of
Malathion Malathion is an organophosphate insecticide which acts as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. In the USSR, it was known as carbophos, in New Zealand and Australia as maldison and in South Africa as mercaptothion. Pesticide use Malathion is a pesti ...
for mosquito fogging, and a military training exercise (Operation Charging Bison). Katz also came under fire from the city's French-speaking population after removing a bilingual requirement from the criteria for awarding a restaurant license on the ''Esplanade Riel'' bridge and backing away from earlier promises to help fund a French-language theatre. Six days before the Winnipeg City Council voted on the city's operating budget, Katz revised it. This drew criticism from councillor Jenny Gerbasi and the Manitoba director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Adrienne Batra.


Riverside Park Management

Riverside Park Management Riverside Park Management is a non-profit organization in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that manages real estate properties including and surrounding Shaw Park, home to the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball club. History The organization was founded by Winn ...
is a nonprofit organization founded by Katz in 1997 to create a leasehold stake in the proposed CanWest Park stadium that eventually housed his Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team. Katz continued his involvement after being elected mayor and when a property tax controversy arose was accused of
conflict of interest A conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another. Typically, this relates to situations i ...
as he was both Mayor of Winnipeg and president of Riverside Park from August 2005 to April 2008, while the two sides were engaged in a financial dispute.


Fire hall construction controversy

A 2013 city-commissioned report on the construction of new fire halls alleged that Shindico, a Winnipeg-based commercial real-estate developer, received the contract due to favouritism. According to CBC News, the developer was granted building rights after previous correspondence between Shindico and the former fire chief, Reid Douglas, despite being the highest bidder. Katz in particular was criticized due to his long-standing relationship with Shindico, of which he had partial financial ownership until 2013. Katz said his financial ties to Shindico had been severed, and denied any allegations of favouritism or involvement in the fire hall contract. Immediately after the report was published, multiple city councillors asked for Katz's resignation due to the fire hall situation. Katz's friendship with Phil Sheegl, the former City of Winnipeg Chief Administrative Officer who negotiated the fire hall contract, received substantial attention. Katz stated that the councillors were entitled to their opinions but that he would not resign.


Uniter opinion piece and lawsuit

Shortly after the fire hall report was released, an opinion piece written by a volunteer was published by the Uniter, the University of Winnipeg's main student newspaper. The piece, which criticized the mayor's handling of the fire hall, resulted in Katz's suing the university, the Uniter and the author of the piece. Katz said he was seeking an apology, as he knew that the Uniter did not have the funds necessary for a financial settlement. The university stated that it believed its involvement in the lawsuit was an error, given that it had no editorial oversight of the student paper. As of February 6, 2014, the case had not been heard in court.


Honours

In 2002, Katz was presented with the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. In 2003, he received the University of Manitoba Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 2004, he was given the province's highest honour, the
Order of Manitoba The Order of Manitoba (french: Ordre du Manitoba) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Instituted in 1999 when Lieutenant Governor Peter Liba granted Royal Assent to The Order of Manitoba Act, the order is administe ...
, for demonstrating an ability to improve the social, cultural and economic well being of Manitoba and its residents.


Personal life

Sam was married to Baillie, with whom he's had two daughters (born in 2001 and 2005). Katz began divorce proceedings with his wife on October 26, 2006 – one day after his reelection. Katz is married to Leah Pasuta.


Electoral record


References


External links


Sam Katz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Katz, Sam 1951 births Living people Baseball people from Manitoba Businesspeople from Winnipeg Israeli emigrants to Canada Israeli Jews People from Rehovot Members of the Order of Manitoba Mayors of Winnipeg Sportspeople from Winnipeg University of Manitoba alumni Winnipeg Goldeyes Jewish mayors of places in Canada