Last Monday, December 5, thirteen individuals appointed Jeff Lehman to the highest municipal office in Muskoka with an annual salary topping six figures.
At the outset, let me be clear that although I have some concerns, this article is about the process of selecting the District Chair and about the role of the District government in Muskoka. It is not an article questioning the overall qualities of Mr. Lehman to be District Chair.
Indeed, he has an interesting background. Professionally, he is an urban planner and an economist. He served three terms as Mayor of Barrie and for a time was Chair of Ontario’s Big City Mayor’s Caucus. He has a record of being pro-development.
Although I have never met Jeff Lehman, I believe he was well-regarded in his previous roles and that he will bring many of these skills to his role as District Chair. I do have some concerns though.
The first is the manner in which Mr. Lehman was able to qualify for nomination as District Chair. In order to be a candidate for municipal office in Muskoka, one must either be a property owner or a permanent resident. Until November 9, the day before he filed his papers to seek the position of District Chair, Mr. Lehman was neither.
Although it has been reported that Mr. Lehman has had property in Huntsville since the 1990s, this is not correct. The property involved is a cottage on South Portage Road in Huntsville and on the edge of the Township of the Lake of Bays. Until November 9, the owners on title were Mr. Lehman’s parents, Robert and Joan Lehman. On that date, the property registration was changed to add Jeff Lehman as a co-owner. The very day before he filed his nomination papers.
Legally, I am guessing there is nothing wrong with that. Indeed, when contacted by Doppler, Amy Back, the District Clerk, said this: “I can confirm that I have seen the necessary documentation from the land registry office that shows Mr. Lehman as a joint owner. Both CAO Stevens and myself are satisfied that Mr. Lehman was and is eligible to be the District Chair.”
That may be technically correct. But I do think, as former District Chair George Parlett was often wont to say, it was fancy footwork. I don’t believe for a second that the spirit of the requirement for residency or land ownership in Muskoka in order to become a municipal candidate contemplated that taking place immediately prior to filing. If it did, there would be no reason for the regulation in the first place.
At least three other candidates for District Chair this time around, not only fully complied with the intent of the residency or ownership requirement but also devoted years of public and community service to Muskoka. In my view, although it appears that Mr. Lehman was entitled to qualify as he did, the regulation as it now stands, was unfair to these other candidates.
Jeff Lehman with his former activities outside of Muskoka brings to the office of District Chair the highest public profile of any of his predecessors, who traditionally have tried to maintain relatively low profiles to ensure that they do not overshadow the mayors of local municipalities. This has been an important measure in avoiding friction between the two levels of government. It may be hard for Mr. Lehman to follow this trend.
He was unsuccessful in his bid as a Liberal candidate in the last provincial election to unseat Doug Downey the Attorney General in Doug Ford’s Government. That in itself, in relation to local politics, is not a problem as municipal offices in Muskoka have been traditionally non-partisan.
However, before the term of this council is up, there will be a leadership race for the Liberal Party of Ontario and a provincial election. Inevitably, as a person in high standing with that political party, there will be those who will encourage Mr. Lehman to campaign for one of those positions. Rumors to that end are already circulating and that in itself will increase his profile.
In fairness, Mr. Lehman has pledged to serve his full term as District Chair which would mean he could not enter either of these contests. But the prospect of higher office can be alluring to a career politician. My prediction is that if a viable opportunity arises, Mr. Lehman will seize it.
My third concern is that the Muskoka District Chair is responsible for maintaining strong relationships with all levels of government. Doug Ford may not be thrilled about dealing with someone who ran against his Attorney General and who may have further political ambitions, especially when that individual has no constituency mandate.
Mr. Lehman appears to have strong communication skills and he will need to use them to develop a good working relationship with the Ford government. This is especially important in relation to the two new hospitals promised to Muskoka by the Province. The District has an important role to play in this, and that project simply cannot go off the tracks.
Under our current rules, Mr. Lehman has been legitimately appointed as Chair of the District Municipality of Muskoka and we can only wish him well. But some of the rules around the election of the chair need to be changed to be fair to people who consistently serve our community.
This, in my view, can best be accomplished by having the District Chair elected at large, where every candidate has an equal chance and where everyone with the right to vote can share in making that important decision, not just 22 individuals.
Mr. Lehman could play a major role in making this happen The question is, will he?
Hugh Mackenzie
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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Joanne Tanaka says
I would like to hear more from Mr Mackenzie about reforms to the District Chair selection process, such as election by residents and property owners and any other reforms to the District Council he may favour. By the way, why property ownership as a criterion for candidacy? In the dark past such requirement has excluded women from political candidacy and voting, and perhaps excludes Indigenous people, and other residents?
Brian Samuell says
To me it looks like the old boys club is finally becoming irrelevant. We’ve seen them in every election supporting their guy or girl. They won with Graydon but missed in Huntsville mayor and now this. Resistance to change I suppose is normal but as I get older and see things changing so slowly it concerns me.
But seeing a new guy heading up an old outdated form of governing gives me hope that he’ll bring change too.
Out with the old, in with the new.
Bob Young says
Hugh, well put! However, I am disappointed in the 21 District Councillors who could not see their way to choose one of the other 4 candidates who have all clearly been residents of Muskoka for many years As you point out, Hugh, 3 of them have given many years of public service to their Municipalities and the District of Muskoka.
Hugh Mackenzie says
Joanne: Anyone who is a resident in a municipality and is of age, is entitled to vote whether or not they own property. People who are not full time residents in a municipality but own property there, such as a cottage, are also entitled to vote.
Dana Viking says
Brian the ‘old boys club’ is alive and well. They got together and chose Lehman as District Chair. No reform coming. Still the same old with the same old boys getting the inside track on contracts
Rick Spence says
Suggesting that politicians who have served on town/township councils have some sort of prior claim to the office of District Chair is dangerous and wrong. It’s practically the definition of “old boys’ club.”
Jeff Lehman will bring fresh thinking and high-level business and administrative experience to Muskoka. We are lucky to have him.
Murray Christenson says
I agree with your comment Hugh, it’s outrageous how this person scammed the system to weasel into a job that most definitely should’ve gone to someone who actually has lived and worked in Muskoka. Based on that sort of behavior, trust would be in short supply for this guy. As important, is the fact that the taxpayers who are paying his salary had zero say in the matter…this needs to decided on the ballot! Lastly, my guess is that it wasn’t 21 individuals who decided on his appointment, it was more like 10 or 11 as the other candidates would’ve had at least a vote, or two, each.
Bob Braan says
Obviously the highly paid chair position should have been part of the municipal election process.
I believe most voters would not have chosen someone who has not lived or worked in Muskoka.
Why did councillors?