@$:[AT]bylinerg:By Matthew Taylor [AT]bodyindent:Controversial Hamilton Mayor Sutherland Madeiros is to step down in the July Corporation elections, with his deputy Courtland Boyle tipped to take over.Mr. Madeiros said he wanted to spend more time with his family.He told The Royal Gazette: "I don't know who my successor will be. But normally the Deputy Mayor steps up and is normally unopposed."And the Mayor revealed the Corporation is pushing Police to grant special powers to park rangers to enforce security in the city."We don't have responsibility for security which has been an issue. "I don't believe we have had the level of policing that the city wants or deserves. "We should have more visible Policeman walking the beat m both in North Hamilton and throughout."For any city to be successful the residents and visitors needed to feel safe, said the Mayor."There is some doubt in my mind that everyone feels safe in the city all the time."He said the Corporation was prepared to fund four city rangers if they would have powers of arrest and to ticket violators.The Corporation has written to the Police Commissioner, who has powers to appoint special constables, and is waiting a reply.Mr. Madeiros said the heavy Police presence in Court Street, with a Police van and officers with bullet-proof vests stationed there, was "after the fact".He added: "Prevention is better than cure."Asked about his decision to step down, the 63-year-old retiree, said: "It was never my intent or desire to become Mayor when I was elected in Alderman in the Spring of 2006."However, he stepped up after his friend Jay Bluck died after just four months after being elected Mayor.Mr. Madeiros fought off Sonia Grant to take the helm of the municipality, which has a $21 million annual budget. Ms Grant then launched a legal bid to have the vote declared void and members wrote a letter asking him to resign, claiming he was involved in electoral interference. Ms Grant's court action was later dropped although Mr. Madeiros has also faced a string of other difficulties.Former Councillor Graeme Outerbridge leaked a dossier revealing the infighting between elected members at City Hall, while former Secretary Kelly Miller claimed Mr. Madeiros was an interfering, divisive boss. Announcing his decision to stand down exclusively to IThe Royal Gazette$, he said: "I have mixed feelings, I have been honoured to serve as Mayor. "With that comes a great deal of responsibility but, more than I ever thought, a great deal of public criticism."But he said he had no regrets about his three-year term. "I am not a quitter. It's a cliché but if you stay at the wicket the runs will come. "That's what I have tried to do, remain there and do the best job I can do for the Corporation."And Mr. Madeiros said he always slept at night, despite the stress. "While not everyone has agreed with some of the things I have done, I have always tried to do what was right for the Corporation and the city. "I have worked in the city or had an interest here for almost 50 years. I will stand by anything I have done."Under his reign a staff re-organisation saw a human resources department set up to handle the 130 staff, while the powers of the Secretary have been boosted with Ed Benevides now also the chief operating officer."He brings managerial skills required to build a team. He's been there a year and has done an admirable job."Mr. Madeiros is proud the Corporation is debt free and he also lists Jubilee Park, off Parson's Road, as a highlight of his tenure."It was a derelict area with containers and drug dealing. The park has enhanced the North of Hamilton."But he admits the wheels of public corporations move slower than the private sector, and that has been frustrating."The mayor has limited powers m he can veto, he structures committees. But in order to create initiatives he needs the approval of Corporation members, that has not always been an easy thing to achieve."But Mr. Madeiros said the Corporation was working better now members could let management do their job.He is not satisfied with the pace of reform though, and he added that Government also needs to play ball. Suggested amendments to the Municipality Act, including widening the Corporation franchise to everyone on the national electoral roll within the city boundaries, went to Government months ago. "We have not even had a response. It is something I would have thought Government would welcome. I am surprised."The outgoing Mayor said the waterfront project was still on the agenda, even if it resulted in a scaled-down version."We want [others to] buy-in, it is not just the Hamilton waterfront, it is the Bermuda waterfront."But we are not intending to have cars at Number One car park indefinitely. We will replace that with an enhanced waterfront."And he insists the Pa-La-Ville hotel, originally associated with Ritz Carlton, was not dead in the water. "There has been an application to change the brand."t-2But he could not say who was interested or when it might occur.