'It is in our hands': Public participation in demand as Richmond Hill hits bottom on democracy ranking

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 1, 2021

Richmond Hill residents are urging public awareness and political participation in restoring democracy and leadership in the city's dysfunctional council, as residents will be heading to the polls in the coming year -- twice.

The latest call came as Richmond Hill has placed dead last among Ontario's largest 32 municipalities in the 2021 Municipal Democracy Index (MDI), compiled by Unlock Democracy Canada and Armstrong Strategy Group.

Out of a possible cumulative 150 points, Richmond Hill scored 38 -- the only municipality on the list whose total was under 40, leaving many residents in disbelief and disappointment.

"I personally was very surprised Richmond Hill fared so poorly. It seems the council needs a reality check," said Gerald Vanderpluym.

Motivated by the thinking that "things you measure tend to improve," the ranking was based on four sets of data: voter turnout, gender balance on council, racial diversity and user design experience.

"I am disappointed ... This reflects the overall feeling that many residents have about Richmond Hill and the actions of some council members," said Pat Pollock.

Disruption and dysfunction has come to define Richmond Hill council this term, even more so since the long-standing mayor resigned in September.

City business was paralyzed as the remaining eight councillors often voted to a 4-4 tie, failing to approve an affordable housing strategy, among other key motions.

City hall watchers say behind every move and machination is a political alliance or a rivalry -- and it feels at times like the ultimate motive isn't the betterment of the city, but rather who can gain and wield the most power.

"Once elected, most of them forget what democracy is, and seeking personal gain is their biggest goal," said John Li.

"Over the past few years, it has become clear that Richmond Hill council is dominated by members who put the interests of developers first," said Li.

Citing the process of approving the disputed Yonge/Bernard KDA development plan, Li said the public never stood a chance in fairly participating, particularly during the lockdowns.

"As we were all staying at home during this pandemic, 90 per cent of residents most deeply impacted by this plan were not even made aware of the release of the draft revision," he recalled.

"This is not how our democratic system of checks and balances is supposed to work, public participation is essential. If some politicians had not steamrolled us into desperation, we wouldn't have protested in the midst of a pandemic."

Former premier Kathleen Wynne believes the most powerful thing a citizen can do is paying attention and holding council accountable.

"How sorely needed is that those people, mostly men, need to know that others are watching them," said Wynne, who grew up in Richmond Hill.

One big challenge facing Richmond Hill and York Region, she said, is infighting and navel-gazing, which leads to bad decision-making and a lack of vision.

Wynne said council desperately needs new blood and more women. "It's just not healthy to have people from one group representing a diverse community like Richmond Hill. And right now, the gender balance is way out of whack."

Change is forthcoming as next year the city gets to pick its mayor twice. A mayoral byelection is slated for Jan. 24, and the next general municipal elections will be held on Oct. 24. The current term of council will end Nov. 14, 2022.

"Residents can make a difference in their local areas if they choose to get involved and make themselves aware of local issues. The MDI could be a valuable tool," said Vanderpluym.

"Residents must become aware of the issues, research the candidates and get out to vote. A good turnout is essential if we are going to elect a better council. As residents, we need to make Richmond Hill better: it is in our hands," said Pollock.

In the MDI's voter turnout measure, Richmond Hill tied with Kitchener for 28th place, with only Vaughan, Whitby and Oshawa recording lower voter turnouts in the 2018 municipal election.