Hugh Mackenzie
Huntsville Doppler
Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison wants to see area municipalities take back control of District Roads. In a way, it is a signature issue for him, something he has been talking about for a long time and something that could be seen as part of his legacy. He says it will save the municipalities, particularly Huntsville, millions of dollars a year. I will wait for the bean counters to confirm that, but even if the move is little more than revenue neutral, it is still a step in the right direction.
Assuming it is the Mayor’s plan to take back ownership of District roads, as opposed to contracting with the District to maintain them, it may well require a vote of the provincial legislature as District roads were mandated in the original Muskoka Act. But it is well worth pursuing. What sense does it make for a Councillor living in Honey Harbour on Georgian Bay, to have a vote to decide if Huntsville can close Brunel Road for a racing event? That is the way it works now.
District roads are no longer subsidized by the Province so unless there is a huge cost advantage, and Mayor Aitchison maintains that there is not, there is simply no excuse for the District and the Town to both have bureaucracies to maintain roads in a single municipality. The repatriation of District roads to area municipalities would carve a huge slice off of District functions and put more responsibility back in the hands of local municipalities which is where it should be and where elected councillors are more accountable.
District government in Muskoka is just too damn fat. Although it is a long time since I was Chairman of the District of Muskoka, it has continued to amaze me over the years how the bureaucracy and the function of the District has multiplied and multiplied again. And yet, the District itself has not expanded by a single square inch!
It is time that we stopped and took a hard look at the cost of local government in Muskoka. In Huntsville alone, assuming Council approves their projected 2017 budget increase of almost 7 per cent, we will have seen an increase in spending of very close to 18 per cent since this Council assumed office a little more than two years ago. Add to that the significant tax burden for District and education costs one can only ask, “When is it going to stop?” The cost of government is rising much more quickly than the income of those who are required to pay for it. This cannot go on forever.
A significant way in which to reduce the cost of government in Muskoka is to take a really serious look at reforming District government. I am somewhat of a cynic in believing it will happen. It is far too big, for instance, but I really don’t see District Councillors talking themselves out of a double stipend for sitting there, even though their duties are really just an extension of their responsibilities as an area councillor. And now the Province is making noises about having all Regional and District Chairs elected at large. That would be a disaster for Muskoka. The District Chair would have an elected constituency across all six municipalities, drastically changing the balance of power between the District Chair and area Mayors. He or she would effectively become a Super Mayor.
I am a strong believer in less government and fewer elected politicians. However, I don’t believe this is best achieved through a “One Muskoka” option which would effectively do away with area municipalities. Rather, it is the District government I would like to see reduced to its absolute core responsibilities: only issues that cannot be dealt with in a cost efficient manner by local municipalities, with its governance overseen by a committee of municipal Mayors or their representatives and not another level of government.
Mayor Aitchison’s initiative to remove the responsibility for roads from the District of Muskoka and return them to area municipalities is an interesting first step in changing the dynamics of governance in Muskoka. It is going to be tough to pull off. It may in fact be a Don Quixote exercise. He may be tilting at windmills but, in this instance, I applaud him for doing so.
Hugh Mackenzie
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Noteworthy enthusiasm from the Hunstville Mayor, but I doubt the bean counters will ever get to it, as is would mean a cost benefit analysis, which is rare in Muskoka. Another benefit for Local municipalities to assume their district roads would be the ability to apply and enforce local planning policies and by-laws.
Now, if the District would assume Fire Services and appoint one Chief, who could develop shared resources, that would result in tremendous savings at the municipal levels.
Always enjoy your commentaries Hugh!
Lou
Wonderful goal, Scott. Wonderful article, Hugh !!!