Waterloo Region is one of the communities that would be impacted by proposed changes to the regional council chair system. On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government announced a proposal to directly appoint regional council chairs and give them enhanced powers. The legislation would allow the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to appoint chairs in eight regions, including Waterloo Region. The appointed chairs would then receive “strong chair” powers that mirror the strong mayor powers previously implemented by the provincial government. Those powers would mean the chair only needs one-third of council’s support to approve a motion. “It’s an extraordinary amount of power to put into the hands of someone appointed by the province,” Zac Spicer, associate professor at York University, said. “It would certainly sidestep a lot of our understanding of norms around democratic control locally.” Currently, Waterloo Region’s chair is elected by voters. There are some concerns among local politicians about what the potential change could mean. “I’ve been someone who has dedicated his life to local government. I’ve always been deeply committed to strong local representation and really making sure that, whether at the city or at the region, we’re delivering high quality services to our residents,” Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said. “I understand the province wanting to have the same process for getting a chair in place. I would prefer that they elect a local representative rather than appoint a representative,” City of Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe said. Waterloo Region’s Chair Karen Redman was unavailable for an interview on Thursday, but she did release a statement. “I remain focused on leading this Regional Council as we deliver key housing-enabling infrastructure, expand transit services and community supports, and work alongside all partners for a strong and affordable Waterloo Region,” she wrote. “I am proud to have been elected twice as Regional Chair by this community. We share the Province’s goals and my focus continues to be on these priorities, now and throughout the months ahead as next steps are determined,” Redman continued. She concluded by saying she looks forward to working with the province on important services and policies. Spicer encouraged anyone who is opposed to the proposed change to reach out to their local provincial representatives. “I suppose the recourse is to write to your MPP and hope that they have some sway with the minister,” Spicer said. “You can’t vote [appointed regional chairs] out. We have strong mayors, obviously, but if people don’t like what the strong mayor is doing, they have the democratic resource to say, ‘Get out.’ You can’t do that here.” If the legislation moves forward, the province will have the ability to appoint chairs in Durham, Halton, Muskoka, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo and York and appoint a warden in Simcoe County.
