By Pepper Parr
November 21st, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Ann Marsden, a frequent delegator at City Council meeting was blunt and direct when she said:
Our delegation today means doing our best to ensure citizens of Burlington can access a budget process that meets all and we mean all the legislated requirements. It is after all, our budget, not the Mayor’s Strong Powers budget and not councils, and certainly not staffs, many of whom likely can’t afford to live in Burlington or hit traffic such as we now have an A grateful to get back to their communities.
We thought, but we’re obviously mistaken, that both the mayor and us we’re on the same page pre-election. No Strong Powers simply a strong council would set the budget. Bearing in mind taxpayers are at a breaking point when it comes to income versus expenses. No matter how carefully they have planned their family budget, something we are sure you will be hearing more about this morning from other delegates less fortunate than ourselves.
Many of us have expressed our opinions that the mayor’s position that she has no choice in following the strong mayor process for this budget is pure spin and not in line with transparency requirements. We don’t believe this is any way to get the community’s confidence when dealing with its very confusing process or that this process is better than what we had or will see effective decision making.
That is in the best interests of the community. We believe the mayor to be acting in accordance with we believe the man to be acting in accordance with legislation and the City of Burlington Code of Conduct must set the record straight that this budget and the ridiculous increase is her choice and not a requirement of the provincial government as she has so often stated.
Without their admission this process is not a process that will meet the needs of best interests of this city, we can guarantee there will be no appeasing those who believe transparency and public engagement are legislated requirements of the process.
We’re only going to make one comment on the budget change from Councillor Nisan.
In this financial environment I cannot understand why he would want to take $38,000 for a community garden program out of this budget.
The number of delegations alone should tell this committee that this community has had enough of the tax increases and will continue their support of those like Eric Stern and Lydia Thomas, who will be speaking today. Both, along with Wendy the petition organizer, have tried to make you understand – enough is enough.
You need to take an entirely different view of what taxpayers can and cannot afford to remain in their homes. Thank you for your attention to those of us who have captured we believe the majority public opinion which we believe you must be guided by is a true 0% city tax increase. Thank you very much for your time.
Councillor Sherman: First question I have is with respect to the strong mayor requirements of the province that has been placed on mayors around the province. Do you agree with the provinces decision that they should give strong their powers?
Marsden: I think the question is misleading. There is no requirement to have a strong mayor powers. The government offered them to those who wish to receive them and use them. Many municipalities, as you know, have turned them down. They said they will have nothing to do with strong powers. They want a strong counsel.
Sharman: I will ask Staff if your interpretation is correct.
Sharman: Are you suggesting that this council make that kind of decision that we’re going to cut off service to certain qualified people?
Marsden: No, I’m not.
Marsden was cut off before she could complete her answer.
If I’m not mistaken the Strong Mayor’s Powers decision goes along with Provincial funding associated with the provinces target on Housing? Turning it down would have probably affected funding subsidies. I think there’s more to it with regard to HER decision.
The companies I worked for embraced a budgeting process called “0 based budgeting” In other words you built your budget from the ground up around the notion of WHAT’S REALLY NEEDED…not what is WISHED FOR…..big difference. Admittingly, it’s a bit more complex and requires more thought than “Let’s just add a certain percentage to what was spent last year”. I wonder what process the city uses?
Allan MMW is on the record that we do not qualify for any provincial monies related to strong powers.
I presume that your last question was rhetorical; however, Meed Ward let the “cat out of the bag” about one year ago during the initial deliberations for the 2023 budget conceding that “the first estimate was a wish list”. That tells us that department managers have no direction to line-item analysis, no zero-based budgeting; they are tasked only with providing last year’s budget PLUS any additions they would like. As I’ve said in an earlier post, the Mayor and Council for far too long (even pre-dating Meed Ward) exercise little control over the municipal bureaucracy who clearly call the shots. And this Mayor and council lack the political will and courage to reassert control which is what is really needed to get municipal expenditures under control–a problem that is compounded by the political ideology in vogue at present that government knows better how to spend your money than you do. We can see how this is beginning to unravel at the federal level as the Liberal debt bomb is beginning to explode with very negative consequences.
The Mayor is confused. The strong Mayor power bill refers to Toronto and Ottawa which are different to every other municipality. Strong powers for other municipalities are covered by a regulation. Relative part being.:
ANALYSIS OF REGULATORY IMPACT PARA 2
Local impact will depend on how the heads of Council (HOC) in designated municipalities CHOOSE TO USE THE STRONG MAYOR POWERS.
How the city’s admin and legal misinterpreted this along with our Mayor and Chief Executive Officer is beyond us.
If this was Alice In Wonderland the cry would be “Off with her head!”
The Marsdens presented a very powerful delegation that should be watched by all citizens. They were not well treated, particularly by Councillor Sharman who, as has become his current modus operandi, tried to force things into the weeds when Anne refused to back down. Well done!
And absolute kudos to Lydia Thomas who took Council to task, dismembered them gracefully every time they tried to prove her wrong and absolutely ran righteous circles around them. She took Council to school. It was an absolute joy to watch. Perhaps the best delegation I have seen.
BTW, the one little factoid (hate the term but the Mayor also really dislikes it) that came up that had our Strong Mayor running for the washroom was Lydia’s revelation that Meed Ward is the 4th highest paid mayor in Ontario. She also noted that several mayors (she named them) refused salary increases for 23/24 or actually took pay cuts. What a concept – lead by example.
When the whole issue of comparative compensation was raised, Chair Kearns actually gave an explanation that was tantamount to “a committee made us accept the increases”.
Thanks for confirming I was cut off. While we have no idea where Sharman is coming from; it is not possible that a “with it” councillor really believes that MMW had no choice. As well, his first question was misleading, his second bizarre!
Way to go the Marsdens!