A REFRAIN HEARD FAR AND WIDE - CITIZENRY BEING IGNORED BY TOWN HALL
I have read the statement many times, and on each occasion it has been a retort that seems relevant on the surface but does not hold a molecule of fact, in a more serious investigation.
When there’s a public meeting about development of a planning document, for example, it is often noted by one or more councillors that the poor turn-out of ratepayers, to participate in the governance of their community, is proof that it’s easier to complain by phone, email and letter to the editor, than to attend meetings in person. It’s not an accurate response whatsoever, to believe we, who may choose not to attend a public meeting, don’t care about the state of our community.
It’s simply faulty logic to believe that a huge majority of citizens, in this community, only demonstrate they care about policies and controversial decisions, via newspaper print or calls to town hall; or that they are, as only an annoyance, very opinionated and watchful over their hometown for selfish "in-my-backyard reasons," and whether they are front and center at a town hall meeting, or special get-together, shouldn’t suggest to any municipal official that these folks are thusly unworthy of serious consideration. A lot of people in this country are fed-up with the whole government debacle, of exercising democratic right to.....as some say, elect a dictator!
Over the decades many Canadians have become so disillusioned about governance and the mistruths, flip-flops, backward-forward logic, and deceit at the highest level, that it has admittedly and wrongly become a complacent danger to believe "they’re going to do what they do, no matter what we say....so why bother?" I think any elected official, looking out over a sparsely attended public meeting, should be saddened by the fact confidence in their ability to govern is so low........belief that democracy won’t work despite their best effort and counterpoint to prevailing policy. Many have given up trying to change what doesn’t want to change. It’s not until a more significant ground swell of concern, raises in our respective communities, which will affect us all adversely, that the number of motivated citizens increases, such as occurred when Gravenhurst citizens came out to fight the proposed closure of the High School. The citizens made it clear that council’s "fence sitting" was not an option, and a resolved commitment to fight such a proposal was necessary, for the welfare of a town they refer to as progressive......especially when trying to attract new business development. This was their chance to show all of us just how committed they were to being progressive, and disallowing the Board of Education to manipulate our respective futures, on what turned out to be a sliver of what they thought was a good idea.
The miscalculation and general misunderstanding that low attendance, at certain meetings, means apathy and a deepening malaise, in our home region, is wrong and a dangerous assumption to carry-on with, particularly during an election year. With a huge debt in Muskoka generally, and an unwieldy one in Gravenhurst, and the reality we’re not as rich as they think we are, there is going to be a long over-due correction at town hall, and organized ratepayers are already penetrating the inner sanctum of local decision making, demanding answers and insisting on transparency. This is good for all citizens of Gravenhurst, and it’s important to pay attention to their fact finding, leading up to this year’s municipal election.
Due to a number of personal conflicts, as a result of a family member’s employment with the town, I will not belong to this organization as an active member, although it is without reservation that I support their efforts to make local governance more accountable to the citizens they represent. They have done a good job on your behalf, and they do deserve your support.
Any councillor, or mayor hopeful, wishing to pursue election this year, would be well advised to appreciate more fully, why ratepayers have organized, and are likely to become more expressive about their concerns as we approach the November vote. I don’t suggest that you adopt their policies because they’re a force to be reckoned with.....and you want their support, but rather you appreciate fully the amount of work they’ve gone to, in order to achieve transparency for all of us on the sidelines.......scared to death to get the tax bill for 2011. I don’t see them as a lobby group but a body of concerned citizens, attempting to secure a commitment of accountability from elected officials......which means that citizens are willingly brought into governance by the elected officials because it makes sense to a truly progressive community. Instead of fear and loathing about intrusive citizens, may come an enlightened attitude that reflects a new sensibility, and era of talent-sharing. In my opinion the dedicated people on the ratepayer’s association have shown a huge willingness to work with council to find solutions.....not simply to trip up good ideas or confound the mechanism of local government, but to make this a better hometown based on co-operation for the good of us all. If we can’t agree on the merits and cost of a brand new town hall, as a community at large, it shouldn’t have been pursued. It could have easily been placed as a question to citizens during the upcoming election. Seeing as we are the ones to be saddled with the expense, for many years, we deserved to vote on our ability to pay for such a luxury. It wouldn’t have been the first time a town hall re-location plan was rejected in this community.
Those councillors who have agreed to enter into this costly venture, and plan to run in the upcoming election, should be prepared to explain, on the mainstage at all candidates meetings, why a community down on its luck, and already burdened by debt, undertook such a costly adventure against sage advice. A few of these folks may even take a crack at mayor so I trust this issue will be placed front and center for insightful explanations, about the failure to give a dam, about responsible ratepayer concern for over-spending.
I recognize the huge burden of responsibility carried by our elected officials. But surely they understood, before joining the merry band of vote seekers four years ago, that it wasn’t going to be an easy go, satisfying an unhappy bunch of citizens who have long felt disassociated with local government. They had lots of opportunity to jump ship. While they are brave to have stayed on, particularly with the onslaught of counterpoint being fired at them weekly, it should be clear that informed ratepayers are not going to be bypassed or over-ruled by absolute power, and that many challenges are on the way......making it uncomfortable, for any elected official, who mistakenly believes their position entitles them to bulldoze the very democracy that gave them the opportunity to represent us. It would be a huge error in judgement to assume that this election will be the same as all the others......or that local government will rule, with that sense of misguided divine privilege, I have always found so delusional....... and not quite practical to the legal options possessed by the commoners to investigate public officials so deserving.

While some elected officials will argue they will not be pushed around by special interest groups, they will indeed succumb over the long haul of another term, to the logic of sensible, responsible argument, based on accounting, based on popular sentiment, based on democratic privilege to challenge what is perceived to be misguided, irresponsible, and undemocratic.
This is not to suggest that the past council term has been in this fashion of irresponsibility because I don’t believe this to be the case. I think however, the reluctance to yield, such as the case of the town hall re-location, confirms that, for all our household budgets, we have no choice but to rear-up and demand a new accountability.......based on the general capability of affording to live in Gravenhurst in the future.

LOOKING FOR A MAYOR
Those seeking to fill the mayor’s chair, in the Town of Gravenhurst, this coming November, must be capable of binding together diverse interests and competing economics. It will necessitate a business moxy accentuated by a keen willingness to bring back a community identity that has been crushed by years of indifference. Infighting has taken a huge toll for the past twenty years or more, and this has come about, in many ways, due to a number of serious, large scale losses, such as the closing of the Muskoka Centre. Losses of business and provincial operations that were longstanding to this South Muskoka Community. No one has thought it of great value to tend the wounds that have never fully healed, and have been aggravated by the new commercial divisions foisted upon us, in a still-struggling economy.
As an historian, it bothers me profoundly that we are more concerned about the buildings of historic merit than the problems of general malaise about town identity. My concern is that the historic identity of a tough, cohesive, resilient town has been neglected and minimized for so long, that it will take years to recover. Before the town can rebuild its esteem, the residents need to be heard. They need to be taken seriously, and not fobbed-off on matters of old-town concern. One example is the shift of the Town Hall to a new, out of the way location, from its position in the mainstreet neighborhood. While some things have to change, and a new town hall is undoubtedly needed, changes to the way this town has operated since the 1860's, needs a little more compassion and appreciation......not all change is desired and positive.
A new mayor and council would be well advised to look at the history of Gravenhurst, and take the time to learn more about the folks who built this community, and continue to live here generation after generation. Their life-long investment here is worth greater consideration by those who impose change at their expense.....and then the "political will" in office, speaks only half-heartedly, of bringing the community together. There are a lot of hurt feelings in our community because the folks at town hall decided that force-feeding was infinitely better in the name of progress, than taking the time and effort to recognize Gravenhurst was a thriving, ambitious and successful town long before they were born. History can be a great ally. A huge source of enlightenment for those willing to ask questions of our senior residents, about what’s missing in our modern neighborhood.
It’s time for local politicians to appreciate that they represent us at council, and at District, but they don’t own the community. This is the way they have acted.