'No hidden agenda' Emmerson says of his regional chair plan

Yokregion.com
Sept. 26, 2017
By Lisa Queen

York Region chair Wayne Emmerson figures he's come up with a way to get Queen's Park to back off its plan for voters to directly decide who will hold the region's top political job.

The regional chair is now selected by the 20 regional councillors and mayors following private discussions, a controversial process that critics complain is undemocratic.

Last November, the provincial Liberals introduced legislation which will make the chair directly elected by voters in the next municipal election on Oct. 22, 2018.

That is something Emmerson and the majority of York councillors have opposed for many years.

At the Sept. 21 regional council meeting, Emmerson said he intends to introduce a motion that would throw the province's plan out the window.

He is suggesting mayors and regional councillors would continue to pick the chair.

While any York Region resident can now run for the position, Emmerson would restrict the choice to those sitting on regional council.

That would ensure the person has been elected by voters, as the province wants, even though voters wouldn't directly elect the chair.

If Emmerson's plan was adopted, the chair would serve both as chair and as a mayor or regional councillor, reducing the seats on council by one.

That could raise concerns about the chair's impartiality.

Emmerson argued his plan works in the county system so the province should allow it for regional governments.

He dismissed a suggestion his plan is simply a way to circumvent the intent of the provincial legislation and allow him to keep his job, a position that pays more than $210,000 a year.

"There's no hidden agenda," he said.

Emmerson, the former mayor of Whitchurch-Stouffville and now a Georgina resident, is not sure he would run against Mayor Margaret Quirk or regional councillors Naomi Davison in the next municipal election if his plan is adopted.

He does intend to run if the position is directly elected by voters.

Emmerson's plan is expected to be debated Oct. 19.

Newmarket-Aurora MPP Chris Ballard, the latest York MPP to spearhead attempts to make the chair directly elected by voters, could not be reached for comment.