Can We Talk?

Feeling in a particularly prankish mood, I thought that it would be interesting to challenge our Mayor, Marianne Meed Ward, to an informal debate. So, I accessed the “Invite the Mayor” request form on the City’s website and proceeded to fill it in. It was never my intent to actually engage the Mayor in this fashion but I just wanted to see what the response would be and in what form. There were enough clues in the request to indicate that it was probably not serious; the title of the event being “The Truth Will Out”, the date being April first, the venue being the BPAC and the expected audience being over 1000. The purpose was boldly stated as “To challenge the Mayor to an informal debate regarding quite contrary views of the performance and achievements of her administration”. I received an automated response almost immediately that summarized my request and informed me that I would receive an assessment with five business days. And then it came …. or more exactly, failed to arrive. The lack of response was deafening.

Although it was much as I expected, I was a little disappointed. Part of me – the part that always gets me into trouble – actually wanted the Mayor to accept my challenge. The better part of me, however, was relieved. Although I believe that Marianne Meed Ward is a flawed individual and an even worse Mayor, I have great respect for her skill in addressing criticism. When she is at her best, which due to necessity is often, she can deflect, twist and spin like few others I know. In debate, she would be a formidable opponent. She would probably leave me in the verbal dust. But I would like to provide an overview of how I would have structured my side of the debate.

I had intended to ask our Mayor a series of questions that might expose the reality hidden within or behind an ocean of favourable photo-ops and social media posts. They are direct and challenging – not the sort that she customarily receives when attending local news events. But they are fair – speaking to both her performance as Mayor and known particulars of her time in office.

1.    Did you have the opportunity to reject Strong Mayor powers for the City of Burlington? If no, why not when other mayors appear to have done so?

2.    Don’t the Deputy Mayor portfolios that you have created add an additional dimension of complexity to a job that is already very complex – some would say too complex – with the existing Ward and Regional responsibilities?

3.    Why do you believe that citizens who delegate to Council should not be allowed to pose questions of staff or Council? Is a two-way exchange not a superior engagement model?

4.    You have instituted an array of things that offer recognition and respect to the indigenous community and you participate in indigenous ceremonies, often using Spencer Smith Park as the venue. This is totally commendable but could you provide an idea of the size of the indigenous community in Burlington or Halton generally and could you identify measures or programs that you have initiated that actually improve the lives of this community?

5.    LaSalle Park – the City of Burlington actually leases this land from the City of Hamilton. That lease has expired. What have you done to get ownership transferred to Burlington and why is this not a first priority of your administration? Additionally why, very early in your first term in office, would you agree to fund a wave break for the private LaSalle Marina and take $4 million from the City’s hydro reserves to do so?

6.    Robert Bateman High School – would you agree that there was little actual public engagement prior to the purchase of this facility? Given the fact that the purchase and renovation/remediation cost estimates have more than doubled, $50 to over $100 million, that you have turned scarce greenspace into a parking lot and that the quantum of actual new space for the City is relatively small, do you still believe that this is a wise and fiscally responsible initiative?

7.    Do all City staff have performance contracts? If not, how do you measure performance, drive business priorities and incent appropriate behaviours? In the absence of a talent management process, how are incentives determined and corrective measures applied when necessary?

8.    In 2019 the Ford government decided to perform a regional operations review with the objective of consolidating programs and services at the regional level. This amalgamation was abandoned and the report has never been published. In 2024, the Ford government turned 180 degrees and is now talking about dissolving regional governments – returning consolidated programs and services to municipalities. This has already happened with Planning. You are in support of this direction.  Could you please say why it is important for each municipality to have discreet and separate common services like I&IT, websites, customer interfaces (Service Burlington), transit, policing, fire-fighting, purchasing, fleet management etc., etc.?

9.    Here’s a sticky one – you have instituted strict procedures and policies to ensure that Council and staff are treated respectfully during engagements with the public. You reinforce these ‘rules’ at every formal meeting with citizens, warning that unacceptable behaviour will be treated with immediate censure and potential long-term consequences. Why were these measures and warnings not needed before you took office?

10.  Do you think that the people of Burlington are better off today than they were six years ago when you took office? How have you improved their lives?

So, my brainchild of a debate is stillborn and the questions remain unanswered – for the moment. I believe that my queries are reasonable, perhaps even important, and deserve a considered response, if not in the push/pull of engaged conversation then certainly in the much safer forum of the COB Communications regimen. Accordingly, I shall take the key to fortress Meed Ward that has been offered, request # 2025-01-12-003, and contact the Mayor’s Office directly.

All playful nudges and pokes aside, it is time that this Mayor and this Council be asked probing questions as a preliminary to the municipal election of 2026. The citizens of Burlington deserve as complete a perspective as possible on these seven individuals and their performance over two terms in office. If people believe that they merit another four years then it should be on something more substantive than name recognition.