Apathetic Public
We now know that this did not happen. Voting turnout was very low, only 33% across the province, down from the still anemic 38% turnout in 2018. Only 29% voted in the Toronto election, but that was still better than in a number of other municipalities – such as Brantford (27%), London (25%), Mississauga (21%), and Kitchener (20%).
Authoritarian Province
Instead, municipal governments are being increasingly undermined and subjugated by arbitrary actions of the Ontario Government in its pursuit of a major increase in the supply of affordable housing in the province. Consider these examples:
- Planning responsibilities will be removed from the Regions of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo, and York, and the County of Simcoe, with the province taking over the approval authority for lower tier official plans and plans of subdivision.
- Municipalities will no longer be able to levy development charges (an important revenue source for them) on limited expansion within existing housing stock.
- The role of Conservation Authorities in the planning process will be significantly reduced.
Timid Toronto
Toward the beginning of this century, most provinces – including Ontario – passed legislation authorizing municipalities to take action within broad spheres of jurisdiction and to exercise natural person powers. In a few instances, notably Toronto, additional powers were given, including additional sources of revenue. It is disappointing to note that Toronto failed to utilize the additional revenue raising powers and has also maintained the lowest property tax rates, by far, in the entire GTA – all the while calling upon the provincial and federal governments to provide financial assistance. The stable, low key nature of John Tory’s past two terms as Toronto Mayor have been a welcome change from the chaos of Rob Ford’s time as Mayor. But if Tory is to provide a legacy worth remembering, he needs to step up this term. With the additional strong mayor powers recently extended by the provincial government, Tory has the opportunity to lead Toronto in taking a much more active role on behalf of its citizens. The citizens of Toronto should demand no less.
Get Involved
Indeed, local citizens everywhere need to understand the important role that municipalities can – and should – play in their lives. They need to become much more actively involved in the operations of their municipalities and what they require from them. When the province recently imposed the notwithstanding clause to override the collective bargaining rights of education workers, the outcry and opposition was sufficient to bring about an apparent provincial retreat. This widespread public outrage and resistance provides a stark contrast to the passivity and indifference that seemed to accompany the recent elections in most municipalities – and that leaves this important level of government far too vulnerable.