This year’s municipal election is sure to be one with lots of choices.
Candidates keep coming out of the woodwork and various issues are causing quite a stir in both the city and region.
One such topic is whether the regional chair should be elected or appointed. And that very question will be going on election ballots for the October election.
In what form, it remains to be seen as the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has the final say. But the point is the people will have a voice on this issue.
Currently, the chair is appointed by the 28 members of regional council, but some councillors would like to see that changed. And so do some residents who live in the area.
Recently, regional council voted in favour of endorsing the ballot question, which will mean council will have to pass a bylaw asking all eight-area municipalities to include it.
While it is great news for those in the region who want to voice their opinion, it seems like history is repeating itself.
In the 2006 municipal election the City of Oshawa along with the Town of Ajax and the City of Pickering had a similar question on its ballots.
It total, more than 87 per cent of residents in those three municipalities were for the general vote of the regional chair.
So why then is this question coming up again? Clearly the other municipalities should also have their say, but those municipalities have large populations and it seems like the majority ruled.
However, that’s not to say councillors aren’t steering down the wrong path. Putting this question on the 2010 ballot will hopefully resolve the issue once and for all.
And chances are the majority will rule again.
While it may be true that the regional chair doesn’t necessarily have a lot of pull in the council chamber, as he or she can’t particularly vote on matters, the chair is still a public figure that represents eight municipalities.
It should be someone the people choose to see at charity golf games or other public events the chair supports.
It should be left in the hands of the voting public, who are the ones who will decide the fate of all the elected positions this fall.