by Skid Crease and Patti Foley, originally published in Just Sayin’ Caledon, May 9/25
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Lisa Post is the Mayor of Orangeville. Lisa Post believes in consensus building, the strengths of her team, and the integrity of responsible democracy. Lisa Post does NOT want to be a Strong Mayor, a title that was foisted upon her, without consultation, by the provincial government.
Mayor Post expressed her concerns in a letter to Premier Rob Ford and Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, describing what she feels are the negative impacts of Strong Mayor Powers (SMP) on both the democratic process and staff morale.
As confusing as it sounds, the way Bill 3: Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act is written, Mayor Post had to use SMP in order to not use them. She has signed five Mayoral Decisions to delegate certain authorities in order to effectively keep them in the hands of Council, staff, and committees, so that the democratic process is restored.
I asked the Mayor what was the tipping point that inspired such a bold move. She replied, “I pride myself on my ability to build consensus in those times when things are contentious. Our team works best when everyone’s voices and ideas can be represented in policy discussions and decisions.”
Mayor Post had observed other municipalities where the SMP had been abused, and Councils were afraid as they watched their positions of responsibility reduced and, in some cases, removed.
The SMP disempowered both Council and community. Town staff were also afraid, wondering who would be fired next as they watched experienced senior staff gracelessly swept out the door to be replaced by the Strong Mayor’s single source choices.
This simply went against everything in which she believed. Lisa had seen teamwork and consensus building in action back when she was a new councillor on a team of seven under the leadership of then Mayor Sandy Brown. When the pandemic hit, they quickly started online meetings and kept the process of governance going as smoothly as possible. Since the pandemic, in this current term of Council, there have been numerous examples of where consensus building has worked for the betterment of the community.
In 2022 Lisa Post ran for Mayor and won. She values and respects the responsibility that comes with that role. I asked if she felt she would ever regret giving up those Strong Mayor Powers and she responded immediately: “I don’t need Strong Mayor Powers. What I need is a strong community with a strong voice, and I need Council to feel like they are a part of our democracy and that their decisions are respected. Strong Mayor Powers won’t help us build a strong community – If the province wants to help us, the best way they can is with reliable and sustainable investments in infrastructure, homelessness prevention, and transit.”
Additionally, on Monday, May 12th, Mayor Post is bringing a motion to Council: item 14.1 on the agenda, to formally request that the Province of Ontario rescind the ‘Strong Mayors Legislation’ in its entirety and should the legislation not be repealed, that the Province immediately remove the Town of Orangeville from the list of municipalities designated under the Strong Mayor Powers framework. That motion, if approved by Council, will be sent to the Province as well as to all 444 municipalities as well as to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for their support and endorsement.
The letter to the Province has been sent, the Mayor’s Motion will be discussed, and Orangeville Council, together as a team, will decide their future.
As it should be.
The way I see it.
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*image from You Tube