Heading into an election campaign with city council still in a state of inertia Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey needs to convince voters she's worthy of another term in office to deliver on her promise of "change." In 2014, Jeffrey's work was already done for her, easily sweeping to power over an incumbent undone by a series of self-inflicted scandals. It might not be so easy this time.

For its readers, The Guardian has compiled a subjective scorecard to grade Jeffrey's performance during the bulk of the current term, with input from the mayor herself, some of her supporters and critics, as voters ready themselves for the 2018 municipal election.

ACCOUNTABILITY: C

Jeffrey slashed her salary by $50,000 after taking office, opened the city's books to an independent auditor, brought in a lobbyist registry and ushered in regularly published council expense reports. For these she deserves an A+. But her effort to push aside any effective independent probe of the disastrous SWQ project, with allegations of staff misconduct still hanging over city hall, and all the reputation damage being caused by the ongoing $28.5 million lawsuit against the city over the handling of the $500 million deal, has raised serious concerns about her leadership. Jeffrey's approach to managing the city's finances, after delivering four successive budgets above the rate of inflation while failing to outline any clear fiscal strategy, also raises doubts about her ability to manage Canada's ninth largest city.

TRANSPARENCY: C

Despite positive moves to bring in a lobbyist registry and to post council expenses regularly, Jeffrey's lack of fiscal transparency raises serious concern. She did little to ensure a secret staff bonus scheme would be replaced with a properly policed new approach that will be used in the future, until the media criticized the policy council recently adopted. Jeffrey's budgets have offered next to no clarity about costs for moves such as management restructuring and external legal fees for numerous lawsuits the city is facing. Meanwhile, after demanding a management salary freeze shortly after taking office she quietly pushed through a ten per cent salary increase for her own staff.

LEADERSHIP: D

Following years of turmoil in Brampton, while crucial city-building work was largely neglected, Jeffrey eased into power in 2014 on a promise of greater transparency and accountability at city hall after an empty decade. She was involved in Harry Schlange's hiring as CAO. Since 2016, Schlange has overhauled the bureaucracy, but, other than getting rid of dozens of managers, it remains unclear how Schlange, who came from a largely rural region, is addressing an urban agenda for a city set to hit one million residents.

Another criticism she's faced is her inability to build consensus around the council table on important files like mass transit. Jeffrey refused to support any motion on an alternate LRT route north of Steeles Avenue and openly questioned the creation of a transit committee she refused to vote for, but now sits on. Asked about specific projects and initiatives, including whether she would campaign on reopening the Hurontario-Main Light Rail Transit (LRT) debate for a third time - a highly divisive issue that paralyzed the city politically for her first two years - Jeffrey has repeatedly declined to answer. Her leadership approach has caused deep divisions on council and placed Jeffrey in a minority position on major votes.

VISION: D