If proof were needed that fast and loose politics does eventually catch up, look no further than the City of Toronto and the demise of its mayor.
Rob Ford, mayor of Canada’s largest city, was ordered from office after a judge deemed he had broken conflict of interest rules. In a nutshell, a $3,150 donation to Ford’s private football foundation was deemed inappropriate by city officials.
When asked to repay that amount, Ford joined other councillors in absolving himself of that debt. That was wrong.
The Toronto Star dedicated several pages on Tuesday to the ouster of Mayor Ford, who has had a less than friendly relationship with them for years. Reactions in the Star and elsewhere have ranged from jubilation to sneers at the prospect of a $7 million election being held to replace Ford mid-term.
Days later it still strikes us as truly ironic that a $3,150 foible could eventually result in a duly elected mayor being swept from office. That is however the point. Regardless of the amount involved, when laws are broken or rules are disregarded and an elected person is responsible, that individual must be held to account.
Justice costs money and often times the people with a beef may not have the financial backing to follow it through. We have to believe, armed with this knowledge, some politicians continue to push the envelope.
Perhaps the best advice we heard given on the subject was if you have to think about it more than five minutes, or have trouble justifying participating in a vote, chances are you have a conflict. Had Ford followed that advice or even offered up an apology and immediate payment, the result of this case could have been different.
As amply demonstrated in this hearing, ignorance of the law was no defence either, as Ford seemed to have little working knowledge of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. That we found very surprising.
This big story does have an impact locally. It serves as a reminder that actions have consequences and despite the differences in size of operations from a big city to small towns, community leaders need to run above board or risk a similar fate.
In addition to monitoring their own conflicts of interest, good councillors will also get their backs up a bit when it comes to professionals that believe they can work for the township – a developer as an example.
Granted this area is small enough that most people in these fields know each other, it always seemed odd to us that lawyers, developers, engineers and even politicians could share professional relationships. Surely, standards and the public’s expectations can be met better than that.
Life in a small town however is not all politics. There are many groups that have executives and officers to conduct their business. While perhaps not subject to conflict of interest legislation, there are good reasons to be concerned with keeping a sterling reputation. Being mindful of perceptions is arguably a necessity for these people too.
Perhaps the sorriest refrain we hear often is committee members abandoning best practices at their meetings, since they are only volunteers. Good enough is not good enough when it comes time to answer questions about where money went, why decisions were made, and most important, who made those decisions.
Proper motions and adherence to a constitution or procedural guide is critical for groups handling money on behalf of members.
If we are to insist on standards for local government, it only makes sense that grassroots organizations take their obligations seriously as well. Everyone pays a price when business is conducted fast and loose.
Just ask Mayor Ford.
