In the 2018 municipal election, executives with Dunpar Homes donated $3,600 to fund Rob Burton’s re-election as Oakville’s mayor.
In this election, a company connected to the developer is urging voters to kick him out of office.
A series of signs have been erected along Eighth Line and Third Line. Featuring an unflattering photo of Burton, they read “Wanted Out of Office!”
The ads are funded by a numbered company registered to post third-party advertisements in Oakville’s election. It is connected to the email address and phone number for Dunpar Homes.
Under provincial rules, registered third-party advertisers may spend up to $25,000 to “support, promote or oppose a candidate.”
In a posting on Twitter, Burton says he has received an “overwhelming amount of support from residents” regarding the signs.
“Those ugly attack signs are from a numbered company created Friday by a Toronto developer who lost his appeal of our refusal to allow his application to overdevelop his land,” said his tweet.
“These tactics will not deter me from standing up for our community and saying no to developers whose proposals don’t align with our Official Plan.”
Sixth Line development rejected by OLT
In August 2021, we told you about a decision by the Ontario Land Tribunal to reject a Dunpar plan to build 81 townhouses on five lots at the south end of Sixth Line, near the North Service Road.
One of those lots is owned by Taylor Rogers, a project director with Dunpar for the last six years.
He was also one of three Dunpar executives to contribute the maximum $1,200 to Burton’s election campaign in 2018. The other two were Mauro Russo and Mirella Sarrapochiello.
Thanks to Oakville’s generous election rebate rules and Rogers’ Sixth Line property ownership, taxpayers refunded Rogers $600 for donating money to the mayor.
We sent an email to Dunpar asking for comment on the attack signs but didn’t receive a response.
A phone call directly to Rogers was only slightly more illuminating.
“I wouldn’t be able to give you any comment on that,” he said. “I’m in the construction team, so I’m not involved. I don’t know even what you’re really referring to.”
Rogers confirmed that he is still the registered owner of the 1042 Sixth Line lot but said he isn’t sure about any future development plans for the property.
He was also vague on his past donations to Burton, saying, “I donate to a number of different candidates.”
But when we asked if it was reasonable to assume that he will not be donating to Burton’s campaign this election, he got considerably more certain.
“That is correct,” he said. “Definitely not.”