The Ford administration’s unilateral decision to pass on a Toronto bid for the 2020 Olympic Games reflects a “worrying pattern” of disrespect for council’s input, says councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam.In an open letter simmering with frustration over Mayor Rob Ford’s style of governance, the downtown councillor also took aim Wednesday at the “special privileges” afforded to Councillor Doug Ford, who has assumed a high-profile role in his brother’s administration and was apparently privy to the decision not to pursue a bid.
The Ford brothers “disrespected our roles as elected representatives [in making] a decision by fiat without council consideration,” Ms. Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre-Rosedale) wrote in her letter.
“Why is it that the process and the democratic institutions that we were elected to uphold, why are they being discarded?” she fumed in a follow-up interview, noting councillors have a responsibility to their residents to consider major proposals that could affect the city.
“When [the mayor] shuts the door on 43 members of council, he is shutting the door on the residents that they serve.”
News leaked in August that a group of business, labour, community and athletic leaders had approached the mayor’s office about putting together an “exploratory committee” for a possible Olympic bid. The mayor’s office swiftly nixed the idea due to cost concerns; Toronto had until Thursday to express interest in hosting the major summer sporting event.
While Ms. Wong-Tam opened her letter with a request to the city manager to publicize details of why the Olympic bid was rejected without council consideration, the two-page text also spoke to her larger concerns about the mayor’s political modus operandi, Ms. Wong-Tam traced the problem back to Mr. Ford’s first day as mayor, when he declared Transit City dead.
“[You] have since been operating on the premise that your unilateral decree overrides the democratic processes of civic government,” she said.
The Mayor declined to comment on the letter, saying he had not yet read it. His brother, Councillor Ford (Etobicoke North), said left-wingers on council were simply “playing politics” with the Olympics, a notion deputy mayor Doug Holyday supported.
“Brothers are brothers and they’re bound to talk more than other councillors,” said Mr. Holyday (Etobicoke Centre), noting there was a clear financial disincentive to considering an Olympic bid.
“I’m sad to see that some people are so insensitive to the situation that they want to make a political point of this,” he said.
Councillor Josh Matlow (St. Paul’s) maintained council was entitled to a briefing on the Olympics proposal, at which point members could have discussed the potential benefits and liabilities.
“No member of council, including the Mayor, should be making unilateral statements about city policy until there’s been a vote at council,” he said.
Councillor Adam Vaughan (Trinity-Spadina) concurred, noting the Mayor does not have the right to speak for the entire city. Dismissing the perspectives of the “twin Ford mayors” as essentially interchangeable, Mr. Vaughan contended the Mayor’s style of governance in the months since his election has been driven by “an arrogance born more out of fear than pride.”
He does not begrudge the close partnership between Mayor Ford and his brother. “If my sister was on city council, we’d probably act the same way… they’re a partnership, they’re family, that’s life. The problem is the Mayor saying yes and no to offers to the city without the full council having a chance to understand what the offers are.”
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Source: National Post
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