Maytree Conversations

Addressing the participants at a School4Civics networking event on September 15, Alan Broadbent argued that election campaigns should be an opportunity to put forward a compelling vision. However, the current municipal election campaigns, particularly in Toronto, are more focused on the negative, on what we should do less of, instead of how we can build a great city.

At the same time, he pointed out that it is important to be realistic. There’s only so much a mayor or councillor can do.

It is an unfortunate truth that cities are the invisible level of government and provinces have complete control over what cities can do. They can dictate obligations and responsibilities; they can even dismiss elected mayors and councils. They limit the sources of revenues for cities to property taxes and fees, but prohibit them from collecting the big, growth related income and sales taxes. This lack of powers and financial clout is a real problem. Our cities are trying to succeed with one hand tied behind their back.

This matters because we expect our mayors and councillors to have a vision of the city that we can move forward with and build on. But they are denied the access to the critical tools that allow them to get there (to build transit system we need, housing we need, etc.).

However, this shouldn’t excuse the lack of vision.

Fortunately, there has been a rise in civil society groups that are transforming the way people operate within the city. These groups are acting as catalysts for community conversation and engagement. Good examples include:

• Better Ballots
• People Plan Toronto
• Jane’s Walk
• The Tower Renewal Project
• The Toronto City Summit Alliance
• organizations like Maytree, Metcalf, Atkinson, the Wellesley Institute, and Laidlaw which support equity and prosperity across the region

No matter how the politics go, as long as we have a strong, resilient fabric of organizations like these, and engaged and concerned residents, we can be very hopeful that we have a wonderful ability to keep growing this city and making it great.

Listen to Alan’s speech here:

(Run-time: 20:08)

Download the mp3 (right-click to save to your computer).

Alan is the author of Urban Nation: Why We Need to Give Power Back to the Cities to Make Canada Strong.

This morning, Alan Broadbent presented on the Cities Centre breakfast panel: On the Outside Looking In? The Many Mysteries of Governance in the City of Toronto.

Alan spoke about three key issues currently facing the City of Toronto:

1. City Council Size vs. Structure: is Council too big, or is the problem a lack of organization and discipline?
2. Who Votes: should non-citizen residents of the city be permitted to vote in municipal elections?
3. Money: in terms of revenue, should large cities be treated like mature orders of government?

Listen to a summary of Alan’s speech:

(Run-time: 5:39)

Download the mp3 (right-click to save to your computer).

Alan is the author of Urban Nation: Why We Need to Give Power Back to the Cities to Make Canada Strong.

Torontonians should take the lead in defining the issues that matter to them in the next municipal election.

We’re only into the third month of a long election campaign, with eight months still to go until we go to the polls on October 25th. The top issues for debate are already emerging from the declared mayoral candidates: transit, outsourcing, bike lanes, the city’s budgetary woes, to name a few.

But who is asking Torontonians what matters to them? Affordable housing, transparency at City Hall, housing for the homeless, city streets and parks … these things matter too.  If we fail to raise them, then we run the risk of letting the candidates set the agenda.

The Toronto Star blog is one way to encourage this debate. Other groups, too are reaching out to their constituencies including the Toronto Board of Trade on Vote Toronto 2010 and ChangeCamp, an interesting project to re-engage citizens in the political process.

Maytree is doing its bit by inviting our constituency to define, discuss and share the issues that matter to them. We will be reaching out to many individuals who are reflective of the city’s new demographics to articulate their vision of a new Toronto. Already, some have identified the need for our next Mayor to champion the right of all landed immigrants to vote in local elections (I Vote Toronto). Others have tabled their concerns that there are few opportunities for new voices at City Hall.

Let’s wake up Toronto and make this our election!

(This post first appeared on the Toronto Star blog “Your City, My City“).