Chair debate returns
by Blake Wolfe/The Scugog Standard

The latest development in the debate over whether to make Durham’s Regional Chair a directly elected position has once again raised concerns amongst North Durham politicians.
_Last week, Municipal Affairs Minister Kathleen Wynne signed off on legislation that would give the Region the ability to make the Chair a position elected by Durham residents, instead of one appointed by the members of Regional Council following a municipal election. The approval was in response to a December 2010 request from Regional Council. Chair Roger Anderson, who has held the seat since 1997, was re-appointed to the position in late 2010 by an overwhelming majority of Regional councillors.
_The most recent development, however, is far from the final step in making Durham’s chair an elected one. In addition to public consultation, a new bylaw would have to be passed by Regional Council, which in turn would have to receive a ‘triple majority’ endorsement in order for the change to take place. Such a scenario would require a majority vote by Regional Council that is supported by a majority of Durham’s eight lower-tier municipalities, which represent more than 50 per cent of the Region’s population.
_In answering the referendum question on the 2010 municipal election ballot - regarding whether the Regional Chair should become a position elected directly by voters - an overwhelming majority of respondents indicated they wanted to see an elected chair in the future. Of 119,666 ballots cast, 95,377 (79.7 per cent) voted in favour of an elected chair, and 24,289 (20.3 per cent) voted against.
_Broken down by municipality, the notion of an elected chair saw its strongest support in the southern communities of Ajax and Pickering (with 85.31 and 83.38 per cent of voters respectively deciding in favour). Electors in Durham’s northern municipalities of Scugog, Uxbridge and Brock - while also voting in favour of an elected chair - gave the idea less support at 66.45 per cent, 68.83 per cent and 72.87 per cent respectively.
_The latest news in the election-versus-appointment debate also came before Scugog Council this week, where the spectre of a Regional Chair accountable only to the large voter base of South Durham continues to loom large.
_“I had concerns for fair representation when the motion went ahead and I have those concerns now,” said Scugog Mayor Chuck Mercier. These include the potential of what he described as a U.S. political model being applied to Canadian municipal politics. “The northern communities haven’t had the same population growth as the south. The north has always been treated equally, but once the chair is elected, it’s no longer a chair - it’s a president. How do they remain accountable?”
_Uxbridge Council also weighed in on the matter, with Ward 1 Councillor and Deputy Mayor Bev Northeast endorsing the idea of change.
_“I feel it’s worth a shot,” said Ms. Northeast. “It will definitely be a cheaper election than what’s being done now and will allow for more of a say at the local level.”
_Uxbridge Mayor Gerri Lynn O’Connor described the Regional Chair debate as “petty politics at its best.
_“This all started because of a grudge between the mayor of Ajax and Roger Anderson,” said the mayor. “If not for this feud, we wouldn’t be in this position.”

With files from Darryl Knight