REID ALL ABOUT IT – Council didn’t like his mike complaint so they cut him off
(Image: Mel Rothenburger)
Today’s (July 14, 2026) glimpse into the mayoral life of Reid Hamer-Jackson.
WHAT DOES a City council do when the mayor complains about having his microphone cut off when he’s in the middle of asking questions?
It cuts off his microphone, of course.
That’s what Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson found out when he complained during his Mayor’s Report at today’s City council meeting about his mike being cut off in previous meetings. He said previous incidents of cutting power to his mike had been ordered by corporate officer Maria Mazzotta.
“I don’t want it to happen anymore,” he said. Then he cited the Community Charter as giving him authority to suspend administrative employees.
Coun. Katie Neustaeter interrupted him, saying he was threatening employees “and this is why your microphone gets cut off.”
But the mayor continued, giving as an example being cut off as he was asking councillors to release their dialogues with various authors of reports about his behaviour.
At that point, one of the councillors exclaimed, “Please cut the mayor’s mike!”
And Hamer-Jackson’s mike was cut off, and the meeting was terminated abruptly without any say-so from the mayor, who’s the one in charge of adjourning meetings. So, today’s lesson is that if you sit at the council table, you’re not allowed to ask why your microphone has been cut off — unless you want it to be cut off.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Neustaeter’s comment didn’t come out of nowhere. It came after the mayor threatened in the open meeting to suspend Maria Mazzotta for doing her job.
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Armchair Mayor; do we have a second bonafide incident of “mic gate” here? It seems this time around, we might be aware of the person who shut off the mic that Mayor Hamer-Jackson was using.
The first incident of “mic gate” came several months ago when Councillor “Newsmaker” delivered the Sermonette on Mount Soapbox. The Sermonette on Mount Soapbox took place on a fateful St. Patrick’s Day. That time, the mic that was activated was not the one normally used by the Mayor. No, that time, the mic had been prepared for use by someone other than the Councillors before they left the TNRD meeting.
Let’s focus on THAT mic being activated. Who had access to council chambers? Who let the press know the time when to show up for the presentation? Who allowed the members of the press to set up their cameras and recording equipment? Who was present to greet the councillors as they arrived at City Hall?
NO ONE INVITED MAYOR HAMER-JACKSON TO THE SERMONETTE ON MOUNT SOAPBOX! WHY WAS THAT, DEPUTY MAYOR BASS?
Instead of another (possible) closed door meeting about the shutting off of the Mayor’s microphone on Tuesday, perhaps Deputy Mayor Bass should be available to answer some very important equations about the presentation of which she played a role on that fateful St. Patrick’s Day.
How about it, Deputy Mayor Bass? Come clean about St. Patrick’s Day first.
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OMG! The guy couldn’t stay on course if his life depended on it
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He has been a long time resident of the city, run a private business until bad governance pretty much destroyed it and raised, with the same woman, a good family. Do YOU have such a good record Renee?
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