Mayor to have salary rolled back?

During the campaign leading up to our November municipal election, Jim Abernethy spoke often of fiscal responsibility, and made a promise to have a look at the large mayoral salary and possibly have it rolled back, if elected.

This process is now taking place, and our new Mayor is living up to his campaign promise. There were earlier rather sizable salary increases, but the most recent included not only a council voted (in 2004) mayoral salary increase from $54,640 in 2004 to almost $67,000 effective January 2005, another increase up to $69,043 effective in January 2006, and then a further increase to $71,460, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2007. Gee, how would the average voter/taxpayer in Clarington like to be able to vote him/herself that type of yearly increase?

In addition to the outrageous salary increases, and even more outrageous (in the opinion of most taxpayers) were the flat-rate mileage rate increases for both the mayor and councillors. The Mayor's rate more than doubled from $570 per month to $1,293 per month! And remember that the mayor (and regional councillors) also receive a nice additional minimum salary of $40,725.49 from the Region and another $5,979.41 if they chair a committee. They can also claim additional money for attending conferences and meetings and additional mileage.

Clarington Council will only be able to alter the municipal portion of the Mayor's salary and not the Regional portion, but the entire package must be considered when looking at any rollback to the total, which is what is now being done.

Staff has been directed to review the Mayor's annual remuneration, with a view to not alter the compensation for any Councillors. Councillors in Clarington earn 40% of the Mayor's salary rate, but of course Regional Councillors also earn that extra hefty package from the Region in addition to their salary. Some of the new Regional Councillors (from other municipalities) have remarked at how generous that Regional package is, some with a bit of surprise and embarrassment!

I would suggest that the local councillors for Clarington should not have their salaries rolled back at all (and that is not being contemplated). In 2005, basic pay for a Clarington Councillor was 17, 788.67. With all the extras (Expense allowance, Omers Equivalent, mileage, conferences, etc), the salary runs around $35, 000 per year. They deserve at least that amount, and I don't think most people would fret if their salaries are increased a bit each year. However, our local councillors who also sit on regional council already have an additional $40,000 plus and most of us don't feel their base Clarington salaries need to be increased at the same rate as the local councillors.

Regional remuneration is higher than it should be, in our opinion, since all regional councillors already receive their base salary from their municipality. The base regional salary for councillors is higher than most municipal salaries, and regional salary is in addition to that municipal salary. Sure they have some extra work to do, but most of us don't believe it is more than double their local council work. And they get all those extra perks again at the region. So when there is a council increase, let's look at the overall package, just as the Mayor is having done for his remuneration. Local councillors need the increase, regional councillors don't, at least not at this present time. There is no reason the rates must be exactly the same.

We are grateful that Mayor Abernethy has taken a stand against fiscal irresponsibility (to the taxpayer). There are other areas he will be looking at as well, I'm sure. But this is a good start and shows that he means to live up to his campaign promises, and that is very encouraging.

For more on this topic, see Jennifer Stone's Metroland (This Week) column, Clarington's mayoral salary up for discussion.

New Blogs and getting involved

There are two new blogs from our neighbours to the west - Oshawa.

#1 - A group called VOTES (vote to eliminate self-serving politicians) has been organized in Oshawa by Bill Longworth, Founder and Chair of Ward System Now, the activist organization that brought the ward system to Oshawa in 1985. Mr. Longworth personally designed and presented the winning case to a 21 day OMB hearing, the longest of its kind in Ontario history. The official website of VOTES is http://www.oshawaspeaks.ca/ which is expected to become the major clearinghouse for Oshawa political news and commentary over this term of council. The objectives of VOTES are 1) to fight to retain ward voting for Oshawa, and 2) to organize citizens to defeat Oshawa politicians who prove to be self serving by continuing to vote for a return to the general vote...a system that serves the politicians but not the people.

#2 - There is another blog set up by Oshawa Councillor Brian Nicholson called Ward System Oshawa. This group and the blog was set up to represent "the vast majority of Oshawa residents who support local representation in municipal government". They urge all those who agree with that view to contact them and work with them to make sure that local representation remains a vital part of municipal government in Oshawa.

Political activism does have an effect, as we witnessed with the Greenbelt issue before Durham Region. The overwhelming majority of Planning 'Committee' was pushing hard for Council to include an attachment with the Official Plan that would have alerted everyone officially of their intention to remove certain parcels of land from the Provincial Greenbelt at the earliest opportunity (which won't be until 2015, unless there is a Provincial loss and a new government changes the rules). So this issue isn't completely dead, but it is put on the shelf for the moment. The point is, there was a tremendous public outcry about this and Regional politicians were made to listen. Of course there were some on Council who were opposed to Planning Committee's recommendation even before the public became involved. But I sincerely do believe that letters to newspapers, to politicians, and those who spoke to the issue at local and regional committee and council meetings had a positive effect in the end on those who would have (and did, earlier) sided with those wanting to change the greenbelt boundaries to allow for more development.

So, it is important to become involved, whatever the issue, large or small. And while this ward issue is on the front burner in Oshawa, let us not forget the "Elect the Chair" issue, which is the drive to finally have the position of Regional Chair an elected (by the public) position rather than an appointment of a totally unelected person (and that includes appointment of someone who failed in an election bid) by Regional Councillors. There has been much talk about this issue and we can't let it be forgotten. We must get the province to change our process/procedure for anointing Regional Chair within Durham Region before the 2010 election.

We have plenty of other issues too, but remember that your involvement in local matters does matter.

Sellout crowd at Regional Council meeting

Yes, the room was full for the meeting. That was Regional Council chambers on January 24th. It was so full there were people sitting on the stairs, and in extra chairs behind Council itself. There were two major issues to be dealt with at that meeting - The Lord's Prayer and the Greenbelt issue that has been plaguing this Council for many months.

Greenbelt - The great majority of this Council finally came through (see issue in the January 23 posting below). They voted 29 - 1 for the best compromise option, which was Option #1. Option #2 would have been best (to rescind), but there was no way they would support an option that said outright that they were dead wrong. So politically, the best result we could hope for was Option #1, which was to simply receive the Planning Committee report (which signalled the intent of Durham Region to remove lands from the Greenbelt at it's earliest opportunity, which wouldn't be until at least 2015 when the Greenbelt is revisited) - to receive the report for information. That effectively lets it die a quiet death.

The *recommendation* of Planning Committee had been to attach a supplemental attachment to the Official Plan to let developers and landowners know who the lucky few were who had their lands singled out for "future growth" plans by the Region. That would have been Option #3, the one that had been recommended by Planning Committee. Remember that this was a purely political recommendation, not supported by Planning Staff (the experts) or the majority of residents nor by some of the municipalities. It appears that Regional Council did see the light, and showed that they actually MAY have the best interests of the region, the environment, and the people at heart. We certainly will be watching closely to see what they do in the future, as will the media (including the dreaded Toronto Media).

The Lord's Prayer - The Ottawa-based group, Secular Ontario, has lost this round with Durham Region. This organization has complained that saying prayers at any municipal council's meetings, including Durham Regional meetings, is against the law. Since the 1999 Ontario Court of appeal ruling against prayer, individuals and groups like Secular Ontario have used that ruling to force councils to stop the long-held tradition of praying at the beginning of meetings.

This issue has caused quite a stir in the region, with many residents speaking at Finance and Admin Committee meeting, and following up with another 13 delegations signed up to speak at Council on Wednesday (24th). Most were strongly in favour of keeping the Lord's Prayer, with 3 speaking against it. Durham Region came up with a "compromise", sort of. They will still say the Lord's Prayer, but it will be *before* the meeting is officially opened, rather than after the meeting is called to order. Council voted 21 - 4 to approve this change in "procedure".

Those speaking against the proposal gave valid reasons for their position, such as prayer should be a personal thing, a matter of conscience. They felt prayer has no place in a political forum. On the other hand, those who were staunchly in support of continuing the tradition also had their valid reasons, and Council attempted to come up with a compromise.

It remains to be seen whether this action will hold up if challenged in a court of law, but it was evident that the vast majority of both Councillors and residents wanted to continue with prayer prior to meetings. The new "procedure" of saying the Lord's Prayer (and allowing anyone else to silently pray on their own, or not) prior to calling the meeting to order was begun that very day with the Chair (Anderson) entering the meeting, Council and the public standing, the Lord's Prayer recited, and then the Chair calling the meeting to order afterward. This is how meetings will begin in the future at Regional Council. Most people were quite happy with the solution. This may or may not be the end of it and we'll see what happens in the future.

These two issues show that community involvement can make a difference. Becoming involved in an issue that is important to you and to the community is an approach more and more people are taking. Durham Regional Council is listening, at least part of the time. With media and individual pressure and speaking up, it is possible to get them to change their minds (in the case of the Greenbelt) and to support an action many of them originally wanted to support in the first place (retaining prayer). So please continue to "get involved". If you can't attend a meeting because of work or other obligations, then write a letter. Or lots of letters. It is the only way you will be heard.

Will you be there?

Who will be attending the Durham Regional Council meeting tomorrow (January 24, at 10:00 a.m.)? Will it be as wild as the September 13 Regional Council meeting when so many residents got up to speak against removal of lands in Durham Region (including 2 parcels within Clarington) from the Provincial Greenbelt? Where several were berated by Councillors for their opinions? Or will it be a slightly quieter meeting, but again with a large number of residents from across Durham Region speaking up as delegations to Planning Committee on January 9, where the Greenbelt issue took up the majority of a very long meeting?

Will you be there to witness the hypocrisy of some on Council who continue to try to convince us of how supportive they are of the Greenbelt, yet they want to attach a supplemental document to the Official Plan which spells out which lands they will try to remove from the Greenbelt at the earliest opportunity? And that opportunity won't even present itself for at least another 9 years. So why make future councils conform to the wishes of this present council, when so many things can change in that period of time. They will tell you it is their "vision" for the future. But their "vision" is truly short-sighted in the overall scheme of things.

Durham Region has the worst reputation in the GTA for being environmentally unfriendly. Will they try to change that perception with new "spin" on what they are doing, or will they truly try to become a friend to residents and the Province and discard this silly (and destructive) plan?

The public is watching closely. The media is watching too. Why wouldn't this Planning Committee (not STAFF - the Planning Committee is made up of politicians, not experts) listen to the advice of their staff (the experts) and the pleas of their residents, and requests from Municipal Councils such as Clarington and Ajax? They won't even let the municipalities do their own planning, which is a shame. Is this Planning Committee so all-knowledgeable, so infallible that they know better than the Provincial Government, planning experts, and municipal staff and councils? Do they not have an obligation to do what is in the best interest of the majority, rather than try to give the advantage to a few while causing damage to our environment as well as to their own reputations with the public? That reputation as a "retrograde, developer-friendly" bunch is reinforced more and more each day. They will try to put a new spin on it but nobody is buying.

Come out to the meeting at Durham Regional Headquarters, 605 Rossland Road East, Whitby, in Council Chambers on the main level to support Clarington's request that all Clarington lands be removed from the "Supplemental Attachment" that Planning Committee wants attached to the Official Plan. Come out to let Council know that you don't agree with Planning Committee. Come out to support the Greenbelt and Provincial Legislation. The meeting begins at 10:00 a.m. Come and enjoy the show. Or participate in it. Tell your own Regional Councillors and Mayor that you support the Greenbelt and they should support "Option #1".

Time to get involved

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and we have hopes for a very good New Year with our New Council this year.

We have a very busy week coming up this week, and I hope there will be enough interest for people to attend 3 important meetings, as well as the Mayor's Levee.

January 7 (Sunday) - This is the day of our Mayor's Levee. The Levee will take place on Sunday, January 7, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 PM. As the year 2007 marks the 175th anniversary of Orono, this years Levee will be held in the historic Orono Town Hall, Main Street Orono. "Mayor Jim Abernethy & his wife Cathy invite you to join them and other members of Council at the Mayor's Levee."

January 8 (Monday) - 9:30 a.m. in Council Chambers, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville. GPA (GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE) Meeting. You can find the agenda for this meeting here. The "GPA" meetings are held every other Monday morning at 9:30 am. Decisions made at these meetings are ratified or discussed at a regular Council meeting the following Monday (7:pm). This is the protocol for regular meetings. The General Purpose and Administration Committee is made up of our Council and Mayor as well as municipal heads of departments. The Agendas for meetings (GPA or Council meetings) are posted each Friday preceding the Monday (am or pm) meeting at the link I posted above. You can also get copies of the reports by contacting the municipal department in charge of any of these issues brought forward at the meetings (planning, operations, clerks, etc). Because the GPA meetings are on Monday mornings, it can be difficult for many people to attend, but if possible do try.

January 9 (Tuesday) - 9:30 a.m. Durham Region Planning Committee meeting (open to the public) at Regional Headquarters Building (LLC - Lower Level Boardroom), 605 Rossland Road East, Whitby. You can find the agenda for this meeting here. One of the Commissioner's Reports to be presented and discussed is 2007 -P-4 Motions Referred to Planning Committee by Council on September 13, 2006 - Approach to Addressing Region’s Request for Greenbelt Plan Changes in the Regional Official Plan Review, File: L14-03-06. This is important for residents of Clarington and especially Courtice as Durham Region wants to remove parts of the Courtice Greenbelt so that the land can be developed. The Province has said no, but that hasn't stopped the Region from trying to find a way around it. Clarington Council voted against the Region's attempts to amend the boundaries of the Provincial Greenbelt in Clarington and that report and result of the vote was sent to John Gerretsen, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; the Municipal Affairs and Housing, Greenbelt Group; the Greenbelt Council; and of course the Region of Durham Planning Department and area municipalities. Still, Durham Region has ignored Clarington's decision on this CLARINGTON land, and continues to try to back-door changes to the Plan. Anyone who has an interest at all in this issue should try to attend this meeting. It would also be helpful to contact our municipal Council, and especially our Regional Councillor Mary Novak, who is our representative on the Regional Planning Committee. Mary has not been on Council for the last 6 years so may not be completely up to speed on this, and it is up to us to help her dig through all the political-speak going on at the Region to get around Clarington's and the Province's wishes on this subject. We do hope Mary will concur with the previous Clarington Council's vote and the Clarington Planning Department Report # PSD-061-06.

January 10 (Wednesday) - 7 - 9 p.m. in Clarington Council Chambers, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville - an information session on Pesticide Use in Clarington. "In an effort to allow the Municipality of Clarington to develop a program to preserve human health, and environment quality, at the same time respecting the concerns of the residents of Clarington, the Municipality of Clarington is hosting a Lawn and Garden Care Information Night and has developed a short questionnaire for residents to submit. Also see Metroland News Article for more information.