Tolerance for Opposing Views             

Fostering Political Tolerance and Constructive Dialogue in Owen Sound Council

For some time now, City staff in Owen Sound have relied on municipal comparators to suggest that the City is performing reasonably well in terms of expenses and taxes. However, a closer examination reveals that these comparators are often single-tier municipalities or municipalities with populations significantly larger than that of Owen Sound. This makes the comparisons problematic and, in some cases, misleading.

For example, during a deputation to Council on December 18, 2024, the Mayor asserted that “Owen Sound does not have the highest taxes,” citing the metric of “taxes per capita” and pointing to other municipalities with higher figures. However, most of the municipalities referenced are single-tier jurisdictions that provide a broader range of services than Owen Sound. One striking example is the City of Burlington, which has the same taxes per capita as Owen Sound. Yet Burlington, as a single-tier municipality, offers a significantly higher level of public services. It is difficult to see how this constitutes a fair comparison.

This selective use of data to present a positive narrative about Owen Sound's fiscal performance has become a common practice over the past decade. Unfortunately, there also appears to be a growing intolerance within Council for residents who question this narrative or present alternative views.

In mid-November 2024, I personally delivered to each member of Council a printed copy of my Service Review Findings—a report based on publicly available data from Statistics Canada, municipal audited financial statements, and financial information returns. The findings in my report demonstrated that when Owen Sound is fairly compared to municipalities of similar population, population density, and number of occupied dwellings, it does indeed have the highest taxes in the region. Furthermore, when compared to all municipalities in Grey and Bruce counties, Owen Sound still ranks as having the highest taxes—directly contradicting the Mayor’s public statements.

I expected that at least one member of Council would take the time to engage with the material, or at minimum, acknowledge receipt of the report. But the response was silence. No questions, no discussions, not even a single email reply to confirm receipt. The lack of engagement underscores a deeper issue: a troubling absence of political tolerance and an unwillingness to even entertain alternative perspectives.

After receiving no feedback for a month, and following a public notice of my intent, I released an updated version of the report to the public on December 15, 2024. This version again received minimal engagement from Owen Sound Council—only two of the nine members acknowledged the report. There was still no discussion of its contents or any request for a meeting to explore its implications. Although I did meet with one member of Council to discuss the upcoming budget, my report was never brought up in that conversation.

Ironically, I have had more productive discussions with elected officials from other municipalities, two of whom I met in person and a third with whom I corresponded. All had downloaded my report, reviewed it thoroughly, and expressed genuine interest in the research. These interactions were encouraging but also highlight an unfortunate contrast: elected officials in other communities demonstrated more openness to new information and a stronger commitment to thoughtful governance than the Council in Owen Sound.

This experience raises broader concerns about the culture of political discourse in Owen Sound. One of the Guiding Principles in Owen Sound's Code of Conduct states:

“Members should be committed to performing their functions with integrity, impartiality and transparency.”

Impartiality requires a willingness to listen—especially to views that challenge the status quo. Ignoring alternative analyses or dissenting perspectives is not just discourteous; it undermines democratic accountability and fosters public distrust. Elected officials are not merely tasked with defending existing policy decisions—they have a duty to remain open to evidence, new ideas, and constructive criticism from the public.

Political tolerance at the municipal level is essential for healthy democratic governance. Unlike the polarized atmospheres often seen at the federal or provincial levels, local politics should be grounded in respectful, fact-based dialogue that includes voices across the political spectrum. Municipal decisions impact people’s everyday lives—property taxes, transit, infrastructure, housing—and citizens must feel that their input matters, even when it is critical of current leadership.

In a small city like Owen Sound, fostering a culture of openness and inclusion is even more important. Council members should actively seek out diverse perspectives and welcome robust discussions—especially when presented with well-researched alternatives. Engaging in civil discourse is not a sign of weakness or disunity; it is the foundation of representative government.

If Owen Sound’s Council is serious about upholding the principles of integrity, impartiality, and transparency, it must do more than quote slogans. It must demonstrate political tolerance by engaging respectfully with all constituents—even those with opposing views.

Only through such engagement can we build a more informed, inclusive, and democratic municipal government that earns the trust of its citizens.

FRUSTRATION – I believe this is what most Owen Sound Taxpayers have been feeling for a while.