It’s an issue that continues to rear its ugly head and one that pits Muskoka’s townships against its towns, no matter who is at the helm. And so it continued on Monday night when Lake of Bays Mayor Bob Young was before Huntsville Council asking it to support his bid to get his township equal say around the District of Muskoka Council table.
Historically, the number of District councillors each of Muskoka’s member municipalities sends to the District table is based loosely on population, with greater emphasis given to the number of permanent rather than seasonal residents. That formula has always been contentious, especially for municipalities with large seasonal resident populations.
That means that Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Muskoka Lakes each have four representatives sitting at the District table and the townships of Lake of Bays and Georgian Bay only have three each. Lake of Bays Mayor Bob Young doesn’t think that is fair.
Knowing that adding more councillors to the District table would be costlier and more than likely not be supported, Young pitched a motion asking that the mayors of the minority townships (Lake of Bays and Georgian Bay) be given the right to cast two votes each rather than one, thereby giving their municipalities an equal say around the District table.
That motion didn’t seem to sit well with councillors, especially not Councillor Det Schumacher who said there’s no way the mayors should be able to cast two votes – and especially not when electing the District chair. Schumacher argued that one elected representative should not have more than one vote.
Huntsville Deputy Mayor Karin Terziano also pointed out that there are councillors in the townships themselves who feel uneasy about giving their mayors such power.
Young requires a majority of the lower-tier municipalities to support the motion in order to move it forward. His municipality has supported the motion as do the Township of Georgian Bay and the Township of Muskoka Lakes, but he needs one more municipality on board and it’s not looking good for him. Young said Gravenhurst has refused to even entertain the motion and he said he’s not having much luck presenting his case to the Town of Bracebridge either. He argued that if the tables were turned, he’d support the motion in the name of equity.
Young asked Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison whether the resolution would be brought to the table to be voted on by Huntsville Council. Aitchison said not unless a member of Huntsville Council brings it forward. “I can assure you that I personally won’t be,” said Aitchison, who then thanked Young for attending.
In conversation with Doppler following the meeting, Aitchison said he expects the issue of representation will be making its way to the District table for debate.
What would be fair to everyone involved here is for us to just be honest with each other. The fact of the matter is Bob Young as the Mayor of Lake of Bays is pissed off that the townships have to pay the same levy, the same rate, at the District level as the towns do, when more services at the District level are delivered in the towns.Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison
Aitchison added: “I’m sorry but governments by their very nature were created to pool wealth and distribute it to those in need.” He said there are more people on social assistance in each of the towns than there are in places like Lake of Bays.
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Reading Orwell’s “Animal Farm” would not prove particularly flattering, but it certainly speaks to this issue. “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
Bob Young is right. Towns should be supporting him to give an extra seat to make things fair.