A man who wants to be Cambridge’s next mayor is under investigation for a potential bylaw violation. Ryan Bolender is a first-time candidate who owns a construction company. He is one of six people vying to become Cambridge’s next mayor. In a video posted to social media, Bolender could be seen filling in a pothole that he said was in front of a home where a woman with mobility challenges lives. “She went on a fairly significant rant about the city and how they’ve been unresponsive to a service complaint about the condition of the road at the end of her driveway,” he said. Bolender then posted the video as part of his mayoral campaign. “It was to highlight the issues of service delivery and accessibility that are very key for residents that are discussing issues at the municipal level,” he explained. While he said the woman was happy with his work, the city took a very different view: the incident is now under investigation. Although the city did not provide any information to CTV News about the case, Bolender said he was told he was being investigated for a potential bylaw infraction and violation of campaign rules. Bolender was asked to take the video down, and it was removed within 24 hours after it was first posted. “A double-edged sword” Although Anna Esselment, a professor of political science at the University of Waterloo, said the video may make Bolender more recognizable, it might not necessarily be positive. “You have a number of people who might question whether there is an understanding of what it is a citizen should or should not do, or if someone who’s trying to be mayor - at the very base level, that person is responsible for upholding the laws of the city and the bylaws of the city,” Esselment said. “You have to think of [campaign videos] as onions, and how the layer can be unfolded and what would it be that opponents or others could see as the problem with it. Sometimes it can be a double-edged sword.” Who else is running for mayor? Tony Chaves, Scott Hamilton, Ihtsham Haq, Jan Liggett and Ken Roche are also in the running to become Cambridge’s mayor. Two other candidates who had initially submitted their names have already withdrawn from the race. A full list of candidates is available online. CTV News Kitchener has reached out to local candidates in Cambridge to hear what their priorities are. The candidates’ answers will be published in the coming weeks as the election draws closer. Election day is Monday, Oct. 26.
