Columnists
Groundhog Day
It was like Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day at the County Council meeting last Tuesday. Brace yourself for yet another debate about the size and shape of Council.
Council received a report and heard a presentation from a consultant, Strategy Corp manager Aidan Grove-White, on the seven priorities it had set for itself in 2020. The consultant interviewed County councillors and staff, and freshened up the priorities. They now appear as five “conversations” to be had with the public, before they are considered again by Council.
The lame duck Council will take the consultant’s final report in March and use it to “set the foundations” for the new Council to establish a community plan with broad priority objectives for the next 10 years, for a strategic plan with measurable target outcomes, and for a budget that implements these choices.
Back to Groundhog Day. The first conversation is to be about fostering meaningful public engagement and developing more effective local government More particularly, how do we more effectively engage the community in decision- making, and does the structure of Council need to change to to deliver better decision making?
In response to a question from Councillor Mike Harper as to what were the most intractable problems facing Council, Mr. Grove- White said he thought the toughest challenge facing Council was getting ward-elected councillors to take a pan-County view of the issues before them, rather than a ‘what can I do for my ward’ approach. His report suggested that the County should consider electing all or some of its councillors on a County-wide (as opposed to multiple ward) basis. And he noted that he had heard from several people that the present makeup of Council (13 members and a mayor) was too unwieldy. Eight or 10 councillors would lead to more efficient decision-making. The fact that our councillors and staff would be raising questions about the shape and size of Council is concerning, given that the decision to go to the present makeup was taken after years of debate, including the constitution of a randomly chosen Citizens’ Assembly to come up with a proposal well as the imprimatur of the Ontario Municipal Board on Council’s decision. To Mr. Grove-White, this issue ranks ahead of the lack of consensus about how the County should deal with the municipal debt level and conflicts between the needs of tourist and the needs of residents.
If this is the biggest barrier to the efficient working of Council, then it can’t be ignored just because it has been addressed before.
The ground may have shifted. Besides, it could be argued that five years ago, the major issue was size, and ward boundaries the trailing issue; whereas this time, the major issue is boundaries and the minor issue size. It is quite possible that such tensions are endemic, unlikely to change with the elimination of wards. However, it is also true that the culture of an organization can change quickly. We need look no further than to the County’s workforce, which under new CAO Marcia Wallace has, as noted in the consultant’s report, improved its morale, So the impediment is worth addressing even without a structural solution.
That’s just the first of the five proposed conversations. The second is about ensuring a thriving inclusive economy in a historic setting. How does protecting the rural and historic charm of the County get “operationalized”? How does new development fit in?
The third conversation is to be about “Aligning Priority Infrastructure Renewal with Responsible Fiscal Policy.” Translated into English, that means somehow funding infrastructure while keeping taxes within reasonable limits. Good luck to anyone who attempts to square that circle.
The fourth conversation will be about role that tourism plays in our economy and its effect on our community. For example, should second residences and short-term accommodation rentals be limited? Will that make the County more liveable and affordable? If not, what will?
The final conversation will be about thinking globally and acting locally. The open-ended question asks “what should we focus on”?
So prepare yourself to be conversed within the next month or two. Watch the Bill Murray movie again.
All of the foregoing may have whetted your appetite to become a member of Council next fall. The information about running is now posted on the County website. You have until well past Goundhog Day to decide.
Comments (0)