William Steinberg (politician)

Dr. Mayor
Bill Steinberg
Ph.D.
Born William Steinberg
(1948-05-21) May 21, 1948
Residence Hampstead, Quebec
Nationality Canadian
Other names Bill
Citizenship Canadian
Education Ph.D, Northwestern University
Alma mater McGill University
Home town Hampstead, Quebec
Title Mayor
Term 2005-present
Predecessor Irving L. Adessky
Religion Judaism
Spouse(s) Doris Steinberg
Children Tara and Craig
Parent(s) Morris and Clara Steinberg
Relatives Brother, Jonathan
Sister, Ivy
Website billsteinberg.ca

William Steinberg (Bill) was born in Montreal in 1948[1] and grew up in the Town of Hampstead[2] of which he has been the Mayor[3][4] since 2006.[4][5] Steinberg graduated McGill University, obtained a Ph.D. in Psychology from Northwestern University and was a professor at Concordia University.[2] He is the founder of William Steinberg Consultants Inc., a survey and human resource software company. He is the President of CIRA (Cochlear Implant Recipient Association)[6] and is Vice-Chair of the Agglomeration Permanent Commission on Public Security.[7] Steinberg was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on June 10, 2013.[8]

Steinberg states that when the Town of Hampstead was merged to the city of Montreal, he formed and led the team that succeeded in getting a demerger. This victory spurred Steinberg to start a career in politics, as the Mayor of Hampstead.[2]

Personal life

The son of Morris and Clara Steinberg, he was born with a severe hearing loss. He grew up in Hampstead. He has a brother, Jonathan and a sister, Ivy. After graduating McGill University, he married Doris Staniszewski. They were doctoral candidates at Northwestern University where they both received their Ph.D. in Psychology. They returned to Hampstead and built a home on Albion St. to start a family. Their children Tara and Craig are both graduates of McGill. In 2004, Bill Steinberg received a cochlear implant to improve his hearing.[2]

Mayor of the Town of Hampstead, 2005-present

Steinberg was elected Mayor of Hampstead in 2005, in a race against 27-year incumbent, Irving L. Adessky, and former Town Councillor, Gerald Kessner.[9] After having boycotted the Montreal Agglomeration Council in 2006,[10] Steinberg questioned the democratic nature of the Agglom during the 2007 election cycle.[3] In 2008, Hampstead with the support of Steinberg banned the installation of wood-burning appliances as a primary source of heating.[11] Mayor Steinberg ran for re-election in 2009[12] against then Town Councillor David Sternthal.[13] In debates, Sternthal considered learning French to be essential in Quebec, but Steinberg stated that his lifelong hearing condition prevents him from learning a new language.[13] The next year, Sternthal editorialized in The Suburban against what he considered Steinberg's attempts to use town money to "strong-arm" that publication.[14] Steinberg continued to question the Agglomeration Council in 2010 with regard to budget increases.[15] Later that year, an election-year conflict with Councillor Abe Gonshor grew more public as Gonshor was excluded from caucus deliberations as the result of changes to the township's Code of Ethics which prevented councillors from discussing city business with a doctor, a lawyer, or anyone but their spouse. This resulted in Gonshor filing suit against the town.[16] In 2011, the town cancelled their advertising with the Montreal weekly newspaper, The Suburban, when they ceased publication of town notices and switched to the Free Press newspaper.[17] In 2013, Steinberg spoke in opposition to the Parti Québécois' amended definition of English-speakers in the Charter of the French Language as applies to proposed Bill 14 for the purpose of qualifying a municipality as bi-lingual as being narrow and restrictive. He wants Hampstead to retain its bi-lingual status.[18]

On November 3, 2013 Steinberg was reelected for a third term as Mayor of Hampstead. He defeated former councillor Bonnie Feigenbaum with 61.21% of the vote.[19]

References

  1. ↑ Basic Info, Bill Steinberg Facebook Page
  2. 1 2 3 4 Steinberg, Bill. "Mayor Dr. William (Bill) Steinberg". Retrieved Jan 15, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Demerged mayors urge Charest to come clean on Agglom
  4. 1 2 "MAYORS SINCE INCORPORATION". Town of Hampstead. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  5. ↑ Waller, Harold M. (2006). American Jewish Year Book, 2006 (PDF). American Jewish Congress. p. 314. Retrieved Jan 15, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Tiny community may have to share service". The Gazette. Oct 20, 2005. Retrieved Jan 15, 2013.
  7. ↑ [Service%20de%20police%20de%20la%20Ville%20de%20Montr%C3%A9al%C2%A02012%20Annual%20Report%20http://www.spvm.qc.ca/AnnualReport/2012/ Service de police de la Ville de Montréal 2012 Annual Report (http://www.spvm.qc.ca/AnnualReport/2012/)]
  8. ↑ Town of Hampstead News - [Diamond%20Jubilee%20Medal:%20William%20Steinberg,%20June%2010 Diamond Jubilee Medal: William Steinberg, June 10]
  9. ↑ "Five mayoral candidates win by acclamation; 4 return to old job". The Gazette. Oct 15, 2005. Retrieved Jan 15, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Is Agglom mess indifference or just plain arrogance?". The Monitor. Oct 10, 2006. Retrieved Jan 15, 2010.
  11. ↑ Chamberlain, Martin (Nov 8, 2008). "Hampstead passes by-law banning wood-burning 'appliances'". West Island Chronicle.
  12. ↑ Wedge, Don (Oct 27–28, 2009). "Campaign '09: Who's helping whom tells" (PDF). Westmount Independent. Retrieved Jan 15, 2013.
  13. 1 2 Goldenberg, Joel (Oct 28, 2009). "Language issue enters Hampstead debate". The Suburban. Retrieved Jan 15, 2013.
  14. ↑ Sternthal, David (Nov 10, 2010). "Hampstead mayor's attack on The Suburban". The Suburban. Retrieved Jam 15, 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  15. ↑ "Hampstead local tax increase held to 1.6%". West Island Chronicle. Jan 18, 2010. Retrieved Jan 15, 2013.
  16. ↑ Wejsman, Beryl (Oct 27, 2010). "Gonshor Sues Hampstead". The Suburban. Retrieved Jan 15, 2010.
  17. ↑ Boone, Mike (15 Jul 2011). "Hassle in Hampstead as mayor, local weekly clash over coverage". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved Jan 15, 2013.
  18. ↑ Goldenberg, Joel (Jan 9, 2013). "Municipalities vote to oppose Bill 14". The Suburban. Retrieved Jan 15, 2013.
  19. ↑ Élections municipales 2013 - Résultats des élections pour les postes de maire et de conseiller | url = http://www.mamrot.gouv.qc.ca/organisation-municipale/democratie-municipale/archives-des-resultats-des-elections-municipales/elections-municipales-2013/resultats-des-elections-pour-les-postes-de-maire-et-de-conseiller/?tx_txmamrotelections2013_pi1%5Bmun_text%5D=Hampstead+%2866062%29&tx_txmamrotelections2013_pi1%5Bmun%5D=66062&tx_txmamrotelections2013_pi1%5Bsearch%5D=Afficher
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