COMING UP

1
COMING UP

• Basics of municipal organization
• A pure weak government model
• City of Winnipeg
• Metropolitan and regional government

• Amalgamation
• A municipal federation

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STRONG GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES

• SERVICES TO POLITICIANS

• Party organization for elections
• Party discipline

• SIDE-BENEFITS FOR VOTERS

• Present voters with alternative policies
• Information and debate
• Pressure on politicians

3
HISTORY OF MUNICIPAL PARTIES

• Non-partisanship
• Growth of the municipal left
• The non-partisan association

4
THE NON-PARTISAN ASSOCIATION

• Organized to win elections
• Voted in unison in council
• Avoided clear policies
• Presented itself as good, public-spirited people

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CONTROLLING THE ADMINISTRATION

• ADMINISTRATORS

• Command expertise
• Are informed and current
• Have unity of viewpoints and objectives

• POLITICIANS

• Arent specialists in administrative
  subject-matter
• But must control those who are

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NEEDED

• Political control over
• Policy formulation and
• Implementation
• Therefore, council involvement in the process

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EXAMPLE URBAN RENEWAL

• Discussion of the problem
• Agreement in principle
• Working out the details
• Some councillors disagree

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EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS FOR DISSENTING COUNCILLORS

• Do you have an analysis of the proposal?
• Do you have a developer?
• Have you identified sources of finance?

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TO POSE ALTERNATIVES, COUNCILLORS NEED

• Understanding of administration plans
• Good relations with administrators
• Therefore, ongoing information
• Day-to-day involvement

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CHARACTERISTICS OF STRONG GOVERNMENT RECAP

• Meaningful representation
• Majority group controls executive
• Meaningful control over administration

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COUNCIL COMMITTEES

• DEPARTMENT

• Advises
• Recommends

• COMMITTEE

• Seeks technical support from department
• Issues instructions to department
• Recommends to council

• COUNCIL

• Receives committee recommendations
• Makes decisions

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IF THE SYSTEM WORKS PROPERLY

• Committee covers off detail questions
• Council concentrates on broad policy

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EXAMPLE A NEW PARK

• BROAD POLICY QUESTIONS

• Is this the right location for a park?
• Are needed resources available?
• Have public safety concerns been dealt with?

• DETAIL FOR COMMITTEE

• Has the right variety of grass been selected?
• Will paths be located appropriately?

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PROBLEM REPETITIVE DEBATE ON COUNCIL

• Mavericks re-debate questions previously settled
  in committee
• Council becomes ineffective
• Power vacuum is filled by administrators

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IN A PARTY SYSTEM

• Party strength on committee proportional to
  strength on council
• Both committee and council decisions reflect
  party policy
• Less scope for mavericks

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THE MAYOR

• Elected at large
• The citys chief executive
• Overall supervisor of city activities

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TYPICAL ROLES

• Chairs council meetings (not in Winnipeg)
• Chairs one or more committees
• Sometimes appoints committee members
• Ex officio member

• Of all committees
• Of special-purpose bodies

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POWER LIMITATIONS

• Only one vote on council
• Seen as everybodys representative
• Formal duties ribbon cutting

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POWER DEPENDS ON

• Vision
• Use of high public profile
• Ability to use media exposure
• Key role on council and committees

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EXAMPLES

• Susan Thompson
• Glen Murray
• Sam Katz

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CITY MANAGER SYSTEM

• Strict policy/administration separation
• Small council, elected at large
• Mayor elected at large
• Powerful city manager

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STRONG GOVERNMENT RECAP

• Meaningful representation
• Mayor elected by council
• Party system
• Meaningful political control of administration

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CITY MANAGER SYSTEM VS.STRONG GOVERNMENT

• Generally non-partisan
• Usually no constituencies
• Separation of powers
• Administration beyond political control

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WINNIPEG CITY COUNCIL

• 15 members, elected by wards
• 4-year terms
• Final decision on hiring top administrators
• Establishes and appoints standing committees
• Appoints committee members, but not chairs
• Appoints speaker
• Decides number, but not membership, of EPC

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CITY OF WINNIPEG
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STANDING COMMITTEES

• Consider issues raised by council or departments
• Recommend to EPC
• The committees

• Finance
• Infrastructure Renewal Public Works
• Property Development
• Protection Community Services
• Downtown Development

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WHY THE COMMITTEE SYSTEM?

• Standing committees Allow a degree of
  specialization
• EPC Overview of policies for the city as a
  whole, prevent policy silos

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EXECUTIVE POLICY COMMITTEE

• 7 members (mayor included)
• Appointed by the mayor
• Receives recommendations from standing committees
• Recommends to council
• Members include

• Mayor
• Deputy mayor
• Standing committee heads

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THE MAYOR

• Most powerful municipal executive in Canada
• Appoints EPC members
• Can suspend CAO for up to 3 days

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CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER (CAO)

• Heads the administration
• Recommends action to the EPC
• EPC Council decide

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CITY OF WINNIPEG
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COMPARED WITH STRONG GOVERNMENT

• Hidden, unaccountable party system
• Large wards good/bad news
• Committee system capable of exercising effective
  control
• Mayor has PM-like powers, without similar
  accountability
• Weak council/representative function

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METROPOLITAN AND REGIONAL GOVERNANCE

• Amalgamation
• Two-tier (federation)
• Agreements to co-operate (new regionalism)
• Provincial rules

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METROPOLITAN REGIONAL GOVERNANCE RATIONALE

• Urban growth
• Equity
• Planning
• Service delivery

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SERVICE DELIVERY

• FIRE PROTECTION

• Example Springfield Township, York County

• ROAD MAINTENANCE, TRAFFIC CONTROL

• Major arteries
• The road from Springfield Township to Kingston

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FORMS OF METROPOLITAN GOVERNANCE

• Amalgamation
• New regionalism
• Municipal federation

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WHOLESALE-RETAIL DIVISION OF FUNCTIONS
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LOCAL GOVERNANCE UNDER PROVINCIAL RULES
BACKGROUND

• Metropolitan inter-municipal competition
  Zero-sum game
• Reminder Creatures of the provinces
• Capital Region Committee Avoidance strategy

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WHAT TO DO? EXAMPLES

• Tax equalization
• Urban growth rules

• Growth boundary
• Agricultural land reserve