Councillors have finally learned to work co-operatively, which is good. But city government faces the true test of its efficacy this year.

After a reasonably uneventful first year largely devoted to building cooperation and togetherness among members, city council enters 2024 with a plateful of big, complex issues that could truly test its mettle.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe inherited a legacy of bitter division, with councillors often acting like enemies instead of colleagues, and it is good to see him turn council into a more collegial body working constructively despite ideological differences. He deserves praise for moving council away from the bitter divisions of the past. But entering its second year in office, this council will face tougher challenges and difficult decisions on several fronts.

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In its first year, it was forced to clean up the mess left by its predecessor over LRT failures and the impacts of the convoy protest. It had to deal with the constant........

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