By Staff
January 14th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Ward 3 Councillor, resident of ward 2, Rory Nisan skipped Council to do a photo op.
We wondered what it was that called Councillor Nisan away from his duties and responsibilities on Monday.
It never occurred to us that he would leave town, slip into Toronto, and spend several hours at the TVO studios taking part in an issue of The Agenda.
A Gazette reader advised us that The Agenda is taped during the day and edited for a broadcast at 8:00 pm and again at 11:00 pm.
We didn’t see anything on Nisan’s twitter (X) feed about the event. One would have thought that a Councillor up for re-election would have advised his residents that he was going to do a Panel discussion on why taxes are so high.
During the discussions Nisan said: “In Ontario, you know, we look at police services or infrastructure as really core municipal responsibilities where the property tax base is supposed to pay, but we can’t fulfill those responsibilities. In fact, we are diverting and at last count in Ontario, it’s $5 billion towards services like social housing or long-term care or public health that really belong more appropriately at the provincial level.
“We’re kind of right now in the worst of both worlds scenario where there’s blurred accountability, where cities are going to constantly be saying, well, we’re we have to pay a portion of these social services, whether it’s ambulances or social assistance, and people don’t really know who’s accountable.
There he was opining on why municipal taxes are so high.
The Mother of all photo ops – Councillor Nisan had skipped the City Council meeting and went to Toronto to be a panelist on TVO’s The Genda.
The back and forth was interesting:
Paikin: Tell me one thing Burlington or Halton is dealing with right now that you have to pay for that. When you look at your budget, you say, ain’t, no way we ought to be in charge of that.”
Nisan: “Sure. I mean, the Region of Halton is covering an incredible amount for homelessness at this point, in the millions of dollars, just to make sure that every homeless person in Halton Region has a place to stay, which we actually do have. So we actually meet the threshold criteria of having somewhere for everyone, but it’s very costly to our residents, and it goes on their tax bill. In fact, Halton Region, this is why I’m not so worried about downloading versus uploading Steve or who does what?
“I mean, it’s many pockets, same pair of jeans. And the key is that the money come from somewhere, and it comes from the appropriate place. Based on Ontario’s own commitments, they’re going to owe Halton Region over $35 million in 2025 or for all of the things that commitments that they said that they would cover for us, things like social programming, housing, homelessness, paying for the cost of growth, all of that adds up to over $35 million in 2025”
He’s the epitome of gas lighting, patronizing and “do nothing” politics.
His “performances” clearly show he’s more interested in promoting himself and dismissing accountability than in actually serving this city. Leaders who do this to the people they’re supposed to represent, without addressing real issues, don’t belong in public office.
But our complacency is also at fault.
I know it feels like we’re shouting into a void but guys like this often bank on our fatigue—they know that even when people speak up, it’s hard to sustain momentum if there’s no immediate response or change …… so they escape without criticism or accountability.
STAND UP Burlington. Make some NOISE.
They’ve got their hands in your pockets
Why did I have to wait to see this kind of disclosure, or Councilor transparency, until this time, and to this audience?
I asked the answer to this question long ago, and all residents are entitled to this information, and should have been explicitly informed during the budget process – that is, what cost, what for, who is responsible, who benefits, and where exactly do you find it in the budget.
Instead, the Mayor, City Manager, and CFO led us on a goose-chase about whether the tax increase percent was Line 1, the actual net dollar increase of Burlington City, or Line 2, the overall increase, including Region, Police, and Education, or something called the “impact” increase, which I find undefined and have not seen a Line pointed to in my tax bill.
So hearing from Councilor Nisan in this way, something I wanted to know long ago, but not aware of it ever being disclosed, makes me wonder. Even Eric Stern and BRAG, with all his effort, got caught up in this misleading mess, and in my view, had his integrity insulted by the Mayor. Residents got some of the same treatment.
This failure in disclosure, is a resident insult and is inexcusable to me. I suggest that this is another set of information that needs transparency and disclosure next budget time.
Councillor Nissan has had enough of being a Ward Councillor. In my opinion he is moving forward with his next political aspirations.
He has illusions of grandeur.
I wish him good luck in his endeavours.