Town of Oakville
MPP Effie Triantifilopolous, Mayor Burton, MPP Stephen Crawford after saving Glen Abbey
Given the subordinate nature of municipal government, we wondered if the mayor could explain how the town was able to retain the Glen Abbey golf course. After all, regardless of political stripe, provincial governments have been supporters of private property rights over municipal concerns. This has mainly been achieved through the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) and its successors, which have the same mandate, the one that has led to cynics referring to it as "Owner May Build." (The same cynics might suggest the name change to Ontario Land Tribunal was motivated by the need to find less easy-to-exploit initials and that nothing has changed in substance.)
Burton responded that he felt he brings a strength at "playing defence."
This ability to defend the community was behind the retention of Glen Abbey. "Struggle on all fronts," said Burton, was a ubiquitous university dorm room poster when he was a student, and he has stuck to that approach whenever a key battle has loomed for Oakville. It worked with Glen Abbey, and it worked against the gas electricity generation plant proposed for the former Ford property and uncomfortably close to schools and homes. The gas plant involved battling a Liberal provincial government; Glen Abbey involved persuading a Progressive Conservative one. These were two big victories for the town.
What does "struggle on all fronts" mean in practice? With Glen Abbey, it meant making the legal case, for one thing, using the Planning Act provisions and the zoning, which predated the acquisition by the owner and development proponent. Another front was heritage, of course.
A third was political, fostering good relationships with those who hold the power. In this our local MPPs, both members of the current Progressive Conservative government, were "crucial", says Burton (the mayor also awarded them keys to the town once the decision came down).
Burton points out that he had asked the previous government to intervene to save Glen Abbey and was rebuffed twice. When he asked the Ford government to help, they did. "When folks do what you ask," Burton said, "I think it's important to say thank you."
Yet another front, one of the most important, was the public relations and community organization front: little point in spending money, time and energy fighting a battle you might lose despite your best efforts if the public does not support you. Nor will you get the assistance of the local MPPs if the voters they represent are not solidly behind you.
The same multiple-lever strategy accounted for the blocking of the gas plant, which required the provincial government to spend significant money, and therefore political capital, to compensate the proponent after losing to the town in court. For local MPP Kevin Flynn, it required going it alone against his own party, swimming against the current until the tide turned.
Neither of these battles looked winnable from the outset. To the mayor's credit, he and council, and the community behind them, won them both. It speaks to an understanding of how outcomes can be achieved in the absence of authority: exactly the kinds of skills needed by the managers of corporate subsidiaries.
It is a cliché that one of the worst stressors is to have responsibility without authority. But it accurately describes municipal politicians and their staff. To be effective, it is necessary to come to terms with the reality of your position and work with your limited tools to get the best possible results. Quixotic attempts to defy the authority of the province will only lead to frustration and failure: especially when, as now, the government has a commanding majority. The Glen Abbey and power plant victories are testaments to the experience, wiles and wisdom Burton has accumulated and brings to bear on behalf of Oakville.
He would point to Livable Oakville and the town's many fewer expensive (and too often losing) battles with developers since the creation of this new official plan. Under Burton's watch, it is fair to say we have had greater municipal control over the form of growth than had been the case in the years leading up to his election.
It might make sense to unite with other communities and try to change the rules of engagement with the province. But that is a separate issue and initiative. When the puck drops, you have to play according to the rules in place.
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