[Richard Eade]

I do not find it surprising that McKenna is backing McKenney. She was always very ‘environmentally minded’. Supporting a candidate that is hoping to build a lot of bike paths and increase public transit seems like a better fit than a candidate who wants to be ‘reasonable’ and stop the ‘war on the car’.

But how much will these Mayoral candidates actually be able to accomplish? The three leading candidates have said that they will not use the Strong Mayor powers – meaning that they are at the mercy of what the Council votes. If McKenney puts forth a budget with $250M in spending on bike paths, and 13 Councilors support a motion to remove that component, what can the new Mayor do? Remember, O’Brien had all kinds of intentions when he was elected as Mayor. His Council simply voted differently and he could do nothing.

While the Mayor can hold a lot of sway, the position is not all powerful. The people might have elected a mayor because of their vision, but if there are enough Councilors elected who have an opposing view, then the councilors can (over)rule the day.