‘Misinformation’ on election changes has Ontario mayor on offensive

Electing regional councillors by ward is about “refining democracy, not reducing it,” said Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy in a statement released Friday in an attempt to dispel “misinformation” in the community about the town’s decision to elect its four regional councillors by ward instead of at large.

“This is not a radical or new idea. It’s the standard across most medium and large Ontario municipalities, the mayor said of the May 28 council decision, which passed by a narrow 5-4 margin. “There are people – including some on council – who still see Whitby the way it was 20 or 30 years ago. They want to keep things as they were, because those systems benefit them.”

Starting in 2026, Whitby residents will be electing their regional councillors by ward instead of town-wide and Roy said. “A lot of misinformation has been shared about this issue and it’s important to make sure residents have the facts.”

The town is growing fast and Roy said its governance model needs to “keep up.”

Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy

Electing regional councillors by ward will:

• Give every resident a direct point of contact on regional issues. “No more emailing or calling all four regional councillors. No more confusion or duplication of efforts. We already elect Whitby’s four local councillors by ward, so you have a direct point of contact. It’s logical to do the same for our four regional councillors.”
• Ensure councillors are more accountable to their neighbourhoods and more focused on issues specific to their ward. “As Whitby grows and develops more distinct areas, it’s important to have a representative who knows your community.”
• Make it easier for new voices to run for office by lowering campaign costs. “Running across the entire town requires a lot of money and volunteer power. This creates a barrier for new candidates and makes it easier for the same people to be elected time after time.”
• Bring us in line with neighboring municipalities like Oshawa, Ajax, Clarington, and Pickering. “It doesn’t make sense for us to be the outlier among Durham’s lakeshore municipalities at the regional council table. This ensures a clear voice for each of Whitby’s regional councillors when they represent constituents at the region.”
• Support the goal in Whitby’s Community Strategic Plan of ‘Accountable Government.’ Thousands of people provided feedback on the plan and “accountability of council members was a key focus.”

“Let’s correct the misinformation that voting for one regional councillor instead of four is somehow ‘less democracy.’ If more votes = more democracy, shouldn’t Toronto elect all 25 of its councillors at large? That would be chaotic, confusing and completely disconnected from local issues.”

The decision follows an April 2025 direction from council for staff to investigate the pros and cons of both approaches. The resulting report emphasized that the choice isn’t about identifying a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ system but rather selecting the option that best fits Whitby’s unique context, with Roy cautioning the councillors just before the recorded vote that their choice should be about what is best for the residents, not what’s best for their election chances.

Regional Councillors Steve Yamada (North Ward), Chris Leahy (West Ward) and Maleeha Saheed (Centre Ward) and local councillor Victoria Bozinovski (East Ward) voted against electing regional councillors via the ward system.

Yamada attempted to delay the vote until after a ward review but his amendment was defeated.

“Whitby is no longer a sleepy little town and I didn’t run to be a ‘status quo’ mayor,” Roy said Friday. “I ran – and I serve – as a progressive, inclusive leader committed to modernizing our systems so they reflect who we are today and where we’re going tomorrow.”

The new council composition will be in place for the next term, beginning November 15, 2026.