Minden Hills mayor Bob Carter’s decision to veto eight of council’s amendments to his Strong Mayors budget has some members of the public calling him power hungry, while others say councillor-atlarge Tammy McKelvey is playing politics in leading the charge against parts of the budget because she is planning to run for mayor in the fall.
Carter had to inform council and the public in writing about any vetoes, and did so Jan. 16.
Council approved more than 25 changes Jan. 6. A number of them were to include charges that were unknown or unavailable at the time of the first draft, while others were to correct errors or omissions. Carter accepted 17 of those.
However, he drew his line in the sand last week on a number of key items, including: wanting to proceed with an organics program for the township ($39,000) as well as a new bulldozer for Scotch Line landfill ($150,000); keeping in a pickup truck for the roads department ($120,000) as well as hiring a roads labourer ($80,000); holding off on riverwalk lighting; not putting $50,000 into the budget to do something at the old fire hall; and not using tax dollars for sidewalk and crosswalk work.
However, his decisions are not final. Council can challenge and override any or all of them with a two-thirds majority vote. That will happen at a Jan. 29 meeting when the budget would be finalized. McKelvey, who led most of the amendments, said on Jan. 19 that she had not yet decided what, if anything, she would challenge.
Carter said his changes would put the tax increase at 4.46 per cent. He told council and the public the financial plan “was developed to meet certain goals for the community. The budget sustained and strove to enhance essential programs and services. The budget continued a robust capital investment program, focusing on infrastructure and put aside 1.5 per cent for future capital needs. The budget included funding for a new community centre in Lochlin and environmental enhancements at Scotch Line waste facility. This was all done while maintaining healthy financial reserves and attempting to keep tax rates affordable.”
McKelvey to run for mayor
While some members of the public are accusing Carter of being power hungry, he told The Highlander on Jan. 19 he didn’t ask for the powers, “but that’s the law of the land, and then the whole budget process becomes a very prescribed set of events where I work with staff, not on my own, and come up with a budget and it goes through many iterations. Staff are really the people on the ground hearing the complaints and seeing the needs so they developed something.”
He said his goal was to make things affordable, and ensure the township’s reserves were healthy while maintaining, or enhancing, services where possible.
The Highlander noted less than half of Ontario’s mayors were using their powers before a sweeping expansion of the system to 170 new communities; and that some mayors, from Newmarket, Tecumseth, Norfolk County and Haldimand County were not using the Act.
Carter conceded a mayor can’t opt out, but can decide to use only certain parts of the power. “The law is the law. I’m trying to do the best for the people of Minden Hills. Although people are putting it on to social media that I’m taking away things that council’s approved with these vetoes, I’m actually, in most cases, adding something back and doing it where the tax rate is lower than what they are proposing.”
McKelvey said she is “totally 1,000 per cent opposed to strong mayors’ powers; not anything to do against our present mayor. I just philosophically disagree with one person being given that power. It’s not democratic.”
The Highlander asked McKelvey point blank if she was planning to run for mayor in the fall.
“Yes, I’m going to run for mayor, but that has nothing to do with what I’m doing right now.”
