When I began my second term as Mayor of the Town of Caledon, Ontario, I took a hard look at the current challenges and future opportunities that would affect how we govern into the future:
1. Adapting to a changing political climate
A new Provincial Government presents significant changes in policy and as municipalities we need to learn how to quickly adapt and respond to them. There is a collective "holding our breath" in the municipal sector with rumours of changes in how municipalities are organized and govern. But, so far, I've experienced only cooperation and collaboration from this new government.
For example, we saw tremendous engagement with the municipal sector on the proposed Bill 66 and it appears the Province listened. In Caledon, we led a fight against discriminatory legislation aimed at penalizing double hatter fire fighters. Again, the Province has listened and acted by strengthening the legislation to allow for double hatter firefighters to volunteer in their home communities; this was a big win for us.
I'm hoping that this cooperation and collaboration will extend to the issue of the Regional Government Review the Province is currently undertaking. We are hoping for a "Made in Peel" plan that will respect both the urban and rural character of our Region. My concern is that the timelines are tight. The province wants some answers by this spring and this issue is complex and with a potentially big price tag. Still, we are planning and preparing for every possible outcome as best we can.
2. The funding shortfall
The Municipal funding shortfall is nothing new, but it has been exacerbated by the Province pressing pause on funding while they do their line-by-line audit.
In the meantime, municipal infrastructure is aging and our only option at this point is to raise taxes. Ontario already pays the highest property taxes in the country and as a local politician we are bearing the brunt of public discourse for a lack of funding from the both the provincial and federal governments. We need every level of government to understand that there is only one tax payer.
If you add up all the taxes you pay to each level of government, the municipal portion equals just nine cents on the dollar. For that nine cents we must provide the day to day essentials such as roads, bridges, policing, fire services, ambulance and community and human services such as parks and recreation. To keep taxes at a reasonable rate Municipalities must have a sustainable, predictable funding mechanism.
Photo © Geoff Wade (Source: https://flic.kr/p/ME5M2j)
As many challenges as there are facing local government today, there are also tremendous opportunities:
1. Citizen Engagement
A real community is one where citizens feel engaged and I see citizen engagement as having huge potential. I know that public officials can get a little nervous when politicians want to give greater decision-making authority to the public because it doesn't fit in the risk mitigation model we have created over the years. But, I see the talent and passion of our residents as an untapped asset waiting to be utilized. It may be tough at first, but with the right guidance and structure set out by our municipal professionals, citizen-centered decision making can build a greater understanding and ownership of local matters in our communities.
Here in Caledon for example, we are exploring ways of better engaging our youth. Each year we hold a youth summit and invite young people ages 13 to 18 to gather and share their ideas on what the future might look like and their place in it.
Seniors are another valuable community asset. They make up the majority of our local volunteer base and they are the largest voting demographic. Local governments need to look at opportunities that will help seniors connect with people, programs and possibilities.
2. Innovation
Fostering innovation and creating smart, connected communities will help attract employment, stimulate local economies and create future sustainability. Local governments need to stop relying on the upper tier governments to lead this work because no one knows communities and residents like we do. If we're not at the table, decisions will be made for us.
By adapting, engaging and innovating, local governments can lead into the future!
Mayor Allan Thompson
