Co-operation breeds success
TORONTO – From a municipal perspective, aspiring city or regional councillors are in the phase where they are registering their intentions to seek election before they are “shut out” or “locked in”. Aside from an academic study of political tactics, the “race” in the City of Vaughan is, as the saying goes, all over but the counting.
By the way, the voting and the counting are taking place on October 26, 2026. Vaughan is not that different from many Municipalities in the Ontario – once local political nominees become elected, they will likely not be replaced unless there is an unforeseen medical occurrences, retirement or serious police investigation.
Maybe that is the way it should be. Local Councils decide on Development, Infrastructure (sewars, drains, access to water, roads, transportation, security – police and firefighters – sidewalks, snow removal, libraries and, increasingly, delivery of social services (hospitals come to mind) downloaded by the Federal or Provincial governments. Things are by no means as simple and clear cut, but, in the main, with minor variations this is the mandate for those seeking office this Fall.
There is no room for partisanship. When your basement floods or snow and ice make access to your place of residence unnavigable it is impractical to seek the intervention of the local “Party boss”. Except until now, perhaps, in Education, since the passage of Bill 101 has blurred the lines of responsibility for who may be held accountable for the success and/or ruination of our children. The levy attributed for education on our properties accounts for close to 30% of total property taxes – the remainder is direct Provincial input.
No single locally elected political figure can hope to deal with any or all these issues without the collaboration/co-operation of colleagues in Council. That reality is in part why Premier Doug Ford instituted the strong mayor policy as an inducement for councillors to gravitate toward mayor capable of bringing them together and get things done.
From his perspective, In Vaughan, that is Mayor Stephen Del Duca. The Mayor was once a provincial Minister for another Party. The Premier, accompanied by several current provincial MPPs, Ministers and Federal MPs lavished unending praise on his friend Stephen and the plans they share together to make Vaughan, Where You Want to Be.
The location and the ambience (indoor and out) spoke to that reality. Music, food, family and community-minded enterprises grouped together (about 1,000 in total) in the Spirit of Giving… [“back to the community”] – social service entities and projects not covered under the Municipal annual budget. Not a single councillor would want to avoid the glow of that light. None did. Neither did any of the City mandated entities.
What was remarkable is that the two principal Speakers of the evening, Premier Ford and Mayor Del Duca did not deviate even a syllable from the message: co-operation breeds success – any perceived shortfall is just “a work in progress”.
Does it work? Last week alone Mayor Del Duca, nearly always accompanied by Councillors, attend at least three of four events I am aware of to deliver a variation of the message; and Councillors who aspire to (re)election did not miss a single occasion to join with him.
Here below is a photogallery from the event (photos: Corriere Canadese)
