Legislation on appointing regional chairs in Ontario now law after Queen’s Park vote

It’s now official: regional chairs in Ontario will now be appointed by the province, following the passing of Bill 100 in the provincial legislature May 7.

Durham Chair John Henry, who will be out of a job this fall, called it a “deeply disappointing” decision.

“Strong and resilient communities are built on trust, accountability and the belief that the people who live there should have a voice in the decisions that shape their future,” he said. “By removing the public’s ability to elect the regional chair and replacing it with an appointment made by the province, a critical link between residents and regional leadership is broken.”

Henry’s views on the new rules, which will happen sixteen years after the residents of Durham Region made a “clear and deliberate choice” in a referendum to have their regional chair duly elected by the people, were shared by other political officials in Durham.

Durham Region Chair John Henry

Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy said appointed regional chairs will do a “disservice” to the people of the region.

“At its core, this change moves decision-making further from the people it is meant to serve,” Roy said in a letter to her residents last month. “Removing the public’s ability to elect the regional chair raises important questions about democratic participation and local autonomy.”

Oshawa MPP Jennifer French took her dissatisfaction by the legislation up a notch, calling the soon-to-be new regional bosses “puppet chairs.”

French noted that Durham Region voted in a referendum in 2010 to have the people elect their regional chairs and the voters have done so since 2014, with that seat occupied by Henry since 2018.

“Now, this minister and premier have decided they don’t care what we voted for,” French said. “Their new law will allow them to hire and fire regional chairs and pick their own puppet chairs who will answer only to them. “

“This is taxation without representation.”

Oshawa MPP Jennifer French

Legislation introduced by Municipal Affairs Minister Rob Flack will now allow him to directly appoint chairs in Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo, York and Muskoka regions, as well as in Simcoe County.

The bill would also give those appointed chairs “strong chair” powers – similar to the strong mayor powers already awarded to 2016 municipalities in Ontario – giving them the ability to veto certain bylaws, appoint or fire the CAO and division heads and have a big say on the annual municipal budget.

French challenged Flack in the legislature to explain what Henry did to merit his pending dismissal.

“I wonder if Durham Regional Chair John Henry did something specific to be fired so publicly, or if he simply didn’t kiss the ring.”

Flack responded at Queen’s Park by saying “nobody was fired” and Henry is welcome to apply for the job, promising an “open process.”

“We want the brightest and the best,” he said, adding that regional chairs appointed by the province will bring “more accountability, more focus” to the job.

French, however, said the changes are making regional governance better “only for the premier.”

“Why does this minister know better than the people what’s good for them?”

“The future unelected puppet chair is being given strong mayor powers to control the regional budget and have access to taxpayer pockets,” she added. “They will have their hands in our pockets and we will have no say. “

“Changing the law to ensure that government appointees can control regional budgets really begs the question – what is this change actually about?”

Henry was the second regional chair in Durham Region to be elected by voters after Roger Anderson in 2014, with the post formerly filled by an election among councillors.

The move by the province follows an unsuccessful push by Niagara Region’s now-former chair to consider amalgamating municipalities in the area, something Premier Doug Ford has said he personally supports.

Henry recognized his time in the Durham Chair seat is coming to an end but said his commitment to the community has not. “I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Durham in a different capacity and contributing to the growth and success of our region in new ways.”

“Democracy is strongest when leadership is earned through public trust, not granted by appointment. The people of Durham deserve the right to choose who represents them at the regional table – regardless of who that individual may be.”