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2 Friday, October 21, 2022 brooklintowncrier.com Say what you want about outgoing mayor Don Mitchell. But after 28 years in municipal politics, including the last eight as mayor, he's had a solid handle on what works or doesn't, what is appropriate or isn't. So when he refers to Premier Doug Ford's "strong mayor" bill, Bill 3, as both chilling and negative, we need to give this a closer look. Ford recently announced "strong" mayor powers to enable the mayors of municipalities to make unilateral decisions to veto bylaws or hire and fire key municipal employees like CAOs. So far, only Toronto and Ottawa are affected. John Tory likes it. Ottawa's retiring mayor Jim Watson doesn't, nor do two of the three people running to take his spot. The aim is for other Ontario municipalities to enable their mayors to assume these powers after a Less than half the picture by Richard Bercuson "Really chilling…really negative…" Monday - Thursday 9:00am-7:00pm Friday 9:00am-5:30pm Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm Sunday Closed SALES (905) 721-6599 SERVICE (905) 721-6588 PARTS (905) 721-6577 445 Winchester Road East, Brooklin Financing Available AS LOW AS 3.49% with $0 down Reserve Your Vehicle! 1201 Dundas St. East, Whitby SALES 905-668-5846 SERVICE 905-668-8871 PARTS 905-668-8853 Top Dollar for your Trade Order your New Hyundai today! (We will secure your rates with Hyundai's PROGRAM PROTECTION!) Order your Pre-Owned Car with us! Contact us or come into the dealership for details!Order Sierra 1500 2.7 Litre ORDER YOUR PRE-OWNED CAR WITH US! year of seeing how it all unfolds in the two major centres. However, the difference between major cities and towns like ours is stark. I've lived in three large cities before Whitby and, to revert to my go-to analogy, it's like comparing the NHL with a junior B team. The bill allows for a two-thirds majority of a council to overturn a mayor's decision. In other words, the buddy system comes into effect. In Whitby, with eight councillors (four regional and four ward), the mayor need only get cozy with three to ensure every decision made is cemented. In a Sept. 19 council meeting, Mitchell said, "I don't see this helping council relations in any way. Quite the contrary." Then he added how it undermines "the critical role of the CAO…" More pointedly, the entire approach is just not democratic. It will pit councillors against each other as they vye for a mayor's blessing and create a sort of party structure headed by a "Dear Leader" mayor. In fact, numerous organizations like Ontario Big City Mayors and CAOs, the Association of Municipal Administrators, and the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers, have raised concerns. As Whitby report CAO 24-22 points out, the bill "may also serve to politicize the municipal public service." When discussed at that council meeting, mayoral candidate Elizabeth Roy said, "It will divide council. It sets the stage for confrontation between mayor and council." Deidre Newman, also running for mayor, began her defense of the act by offering, "I see this as an opportunity…" She also expressed support for the bill at the Chamber of Commerce Q&A in September. When, after a few motions and recommendations came and went, council voted to essentially request this be further investigated and shoved to a back burner. The vote was 8-1. Only one councillor, a mayoral candidate, voted against it. To put it bluntly, it wasn't the one who prefers the democratic approach. Choose. At Brooklin Optometric Centre, your vision and health matters to us. We are investing in new equipment and technology to provide you a better understanding of your eyes and ocular health. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is an advanced eye scan that is similar to ultrasound, but uses light rather than sound waves to illustrate the different layers that make up the retina. Book an appointment with us so you can see! October is Eye Health Month 905.655.6200 • www.brooklineyecare.ca