LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Council has power to reinstate transit

Coun. Bortolin has alleged that Mayor Dilkens avoided democracy and acted to silence, sidestep and neuter council by using the mayor’s emergency powers to close transit during the COVID-19 pandemic. On social media, Coun, Bortolin has said that, “When the decision is made and meetings are cancelled there isn’t any mechanism to change the outcome.”

While the mayor, as head of council, does have unilateral emergency powers, there is certainly a mechanism for council to override those powers.

Section 4.2 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act permits council to declare the termination of an emergency. Doing so would end the mayor’s power to cancel transit service under the mayor’s emergency declaration.

As for meetings being cancelled, section 3.3 of the city’s procedural bylaw provides that “a majority of council members may at any time petition the clerk to call a special meeting of council.” The purpose of this provision is to permit the majority of council to call a meeting when a mayor refuses to do so. A meeting can be scheduled on 72 hours’ notice.

While it might seem excessive to terminate the emergency declaration in order to reinstate transit, the local declaration of emergency is currently only being used to (1) close playgrounds (2) close malls, and (3) cancel transit. Council can vote to close the playgrounds. The stores in the malls are closed by the provincial emergency “essential service” requirements. The only practical effect of the local state of emergency is the cancellation of transit.

Is Coun. Bortolin unaware of council’s legislative powers? Does he not have the votes on council to reinstate transit despite his assertion that if the mayor had brought the proposed transit closure to council “it wouldn’t have passed?” Is Coun. Bortolin simply grandstanding to protect his reputation with progressives and transit advocates, by asserting that he is doing everything he can to reinstate transit, while not having the political courage to override the mayor’s difficult decision to cancel transit service?

If Coun. Bortolin truly believes transit should be reinstated, and the democratic will of council is on his side, he ought to explain why he has not led council to terminate the emergency declaration in order to reinstate transit service in Windsor. Otherwise, he should let the mayor do his job.

Daniel Ableser, lawyer and Ward 1 resident

Keeping transit shut down is stupid

Re: Councillors protest as mayor extends Transit Windsor shutdown, by Brian Cross, April 9

Think about how right now there are currently about 10,000 students off school who might like to go somewhere (keeping their distance), hundreds of lower-income adults without cars who need to get to their jobs, and possibly a poor senior in Riverside with no car who needs groceries, has a doctor’s appointment or needs a blood test.

I have lived in Windsor since 1940 and have seen lots of wonderful things — and lots of stupid stuff.

The Transit Windsor shutdown takes the cake.

I’m sorry to say, as my father would, “there is no cure for stupid.”

Bruce Mcleod, Windsor