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Referendum: 2010
11 April 2010
I plan to bring a notice of motion to the table, Monday night, asking for a referendum question to be added to the 2010 ballot.
My motion will be to request that the 2010 ballot include the question, "Should Collingwood implement a ward system for future municipal elections?"
Given the refusal of the mayor (and his supporters) to allow public input into the debate over a ward system or into the debate over the method of balloting (mail-in versus walk-in) when both were brought to the council table, earlier, I don't really expect it to be passed. After all, the majority of members of council, including the mayor, owe their success at the table to the efforts of special interest group lobbying. That sort of effort would be neutered by the implementation of either a ward system or a walk-in ballot system.
As I see it, reducing the influence of special interest groups at election time is a plus for democracy. That's not always popular among politicians who have benefitted from them, however.
I also believe that our community is large and mature enough for a ward system where individuals are called into account by the people they represent. It's sometimes too easy to avoid dealing with ratepayer concerns and issues in an at-large system. A ward system would force politicians to deal with issues in their ward or face being ousted next term.
So far both a ward system and a change in the balloting system have been rejected by this council, without allowing any public input into the discussion. That's a bit too autocratic for my taste*, and thus I will attempt to get it into the ballot as a referendum question so you, the voters and taxpayers, can have your say on the issue.
~~~~~
* As have been many, many decisions made by this administration. Democracy means "rule of the people." We seem to forget that at the table, a little too often, this term.
My motion will be to request that the 2010 ballot include the question, "Should Collingwood implement a ward system for future municipal elections?"
Given the refusal of the mayor (and his supporters) to allow public input into the debate over a ward system or into the debate over the method of balloting (mail-in versus walk-in) when both were brought to the council table, earlier, I don't really expect it to be passed. After all, the majority of members of council, including the mayor, owe their success at the table to the efforts of special interest group lobbying. That sort of effort would be neutered by the implementation of either a ward system or a walk-in ballot system.
As I see it, reducing the influence of special interest groups at election time is a plus for democracy. That's not always popular among politicians who have benefitted from them, however.
I also believe that our community is large and mature enough for a ward system where individuals are called into account by the people they represent. It's sometimes too easy to avoid dealing with ratepayer concerns and issues in an at-large system. A ward system would force politicians to deal with issues in their ward or face being ousted next term.
So far both a ward system and a change in the balloting system have been rejected by this council, without allowing any public input into the discussion. That's a bit too autocratic for my taste*, and thus I will attempt to get it into the ballot as a referendum question so you, the voters and taxpayers, can have your say on the issue.
~~~~~
* As have been many, many decisions made by this administration. Democracy means "rule of the people." We seem to forget that at the table, a little too often, this term.
