They used to joke about the “thumb on the scale” at butcher shops when wrapping up meat and weighing it for sale.
Out of step with this week’s column (but nevertheless interesting), undercover grocery shoppers recently found that indeed weighed meat included packaging in its calculation, adding some credibility to this old adage.
Rather than fret about this unfair practice, we wanted to explore the notion of what it looks like when that sneaky thumb is replaced by a foot on the scale when it comes to local democracy.
The provincial government has granted strong mayor powers to an additional 169 municipalities that have councils of six or more members.
Its explanation is that such powers would enable the province to pursue its housing agenda and other priorities in earnest, plus make it easier for mayors to handle administrative change without the current checks and balances.
As one would expect living in Wellington County, where local democracy is serious business, the two mayors involved in this phase were surprised at the necessity of such measures.
Mayor Shawn Watters of Centre Wellington and Mayor Dave Turton of Minto, largely respected in their council chambers for listening to all members, see no need for super mayor powers.
We concur that cooperation wins the day, and has for generations before this strategy of short-circuiting local democracy was enacted by Premier Doug Ford.
The allure of power – limited as it is at the municipal level – should not be dismissed so easily. We see it as a breeding ground for corruption, and a tool for poor leaders to punish subordinates or reward friends. Nepotism is rearing its head again.
Lost on Ford is that Conservative-friendly mayors aren’t there forever. Take Olivia Chow in Toronto for example, where the left-of-centre crowd is wanting more and taxes have risen dramatically. These types of policies, that give a mayor too much sway, are available to leaders of all stripes.
Replacing a thumb on a scale with a heavy foot is bad for local democracy.
It’s that simple.
