约克区议会效益低下 居民不满高涨（四）

 

2016年，TTC 1号线（Yonge-University-Spadina）地铁延伸线项目预算超支进一步暴露出约克区议员未能有效地控制其财政风险。而居民们在目睹区议员在Heritage Village老年公寓拆迁和地铁延伸线项目超支风波中的表现后，亦逐渐认识到缴给约克区政府的近半税费有如打了水漂，而非物有所值。但约克区议员收入过高，他们除了领取市议员薪酬，负责约克区事务的区议员还可以从约克区政府获得72%的额外收入。

 

In 2016, the budget overrun of TTC’s Line 1 (Yonge-University-Spadina) subway extension further exposed the Regional Councillors’ failure to cap the limit of the financial exposure. Residents are beginning to feel that they are not getting the value out of their 50% taxes devoted to York Region after witnessing the performance of the Regional Councillors in both the Heritage Village and the Subway extension overrun affairs. But Regional Councillors receive excessive payments, as they get an 72% extra compensation package from York Region on top of their City Council stipend to look after York Region affairs!

 

 

当然，居民的不满情绪并非一蹴而就或仅仅是因为一到两个事件而引发。中国人有句话叫“冰冻三尺非一日之寒”。另外一些问题尚未得到妥善解决，而其中某些问题仍令人记忆犹新。

 

Of course, the dissatifactions do not manfest themselves all in a short time or just based on one or two incidents. We have a Chinese saying "Freezing of up to 3 feet of ice is not the result of a single cold snap". There were other ongoing issues and everyone can recall a couple of them very easily. 

 

2013年，有人再度提议将Highway#7途径约克区的路段更名为International Drive。Highway 7走廊虽然包括一些住宅开发区，但大部分地区都是商业和贸易开发区，而当地企业东主都不得不考虑Highway 7更名带来的巨大影响。由于这条公路之地名对企业东主来说颇具吸引力，而路名一旦发生变化也就意味着许多企业都必须变更标识和地址，这其中包括信笺抬头、名片、网页文件及其他相关内容等。

 

In 2013, there was a proposal to change the name of Highway#7 to International Drive for the section that passes through York Region once again. The corridor of Highway 7 is composed of some residential development, but is mostly commercial and business development. There is a large impact to business owners to consider in the potential renaming of Highway 7. This roadway provides an attractive address to business owners and any change to its name will create the need for signage and address changes to many businesses. This can include letterhead, business cards, web-based documents and other items. 

 

在万锦市议会的一次决议中，市议员以多数票否决了名为“Highway#7更名”的动议。但在约克区议会就同一份动议进行表决时，一些区议员却改变了投票方向，赞成反对市议会的决议。所幸的是，该份更名动议最终并未得到通过。

 

In a Markham City Council resolution, the motion to "change the name for Highway#7" was defeated by a majority of the votes. When the same motion went in front of York Region Council for voting, some Regional Councillors voted against the City's resolution and changed their votes. Fortunately, this change did not get through.

 

 

2015年11月，万锦市区域议员Joe Li提出动议支持按照安省省议会旨在修订《市政法》的私人法案——Bill 42中的提议选举区议会主席。Bill 42旨在要求区议会从将于2018年10月举行的下届市政选举开始通过普选选举区议会主席，因为约克区自1971年成立以来，区议会主席一直是由区议员直接选出。

In November 2015, Markham Regional Councillor Joe Li put forward a motion to support the election of the Regional Chair as proposed by Bill 42, a private member’s bill in the Ontario Legislature to amend the Municipal Act in this regard. Bill 42 seeks to require the Regional Chair to be elected by a general vote beginning in the next municipal election in October 2018. Since York Region was established in 1971, the Regional Chair has been elected by members of Regional Council only. 

 

 

但是，该动议先是被拖延继而又遭到否决。而在约克区议会就该份已获万锦市议会通过的动议进行表决时，来自万锦市的区域议员亦再次投出了反对票。对此人们不禁要问这些区议员为什么不投票反映万锦市议会绝大多数成员的意愿。如果区议员是代表该市选民发声，那他们为什么要投票反对市议会所表达的多数意见？

 

The motion was first deferred and then defeated. Again, Regional representatives from Markham voted in York Region against a motion that was passed in Markham's City Council. People questioned how and why Regional Councillors did not vote to reflect the will of the majority in Markham's City Council. If Regional Councillors are representing the constituents in the City, why are they voting against the majority opinion expressed in the City Council?

 

对此，约克区居民表达了共同的看法： 区议员是否能够有效获取信息，并在区议会中及时采取行动？区政府是否将税收都花在了刀口上？区政府向我们提供的服务是否打了折扣？我们今后是否应该设法自己寻找满意的“城市”服务并脱离约克区?

 

This brings us back to the thoughts expressed by many of the residents – are the Regional Councillors effective when it comes to obtaining information and taking timely action at the Regional Council? Is the Region spending their tax dollars wisely? Are we getting economical services delivered by the region? Should we as “cities” secure our own services in future and leave the Region of York? 

 

我可以肯定的是，在2018年市政选举到来时，这些问题还会再度被提出。

 

I am sure that these questions will be asked again soon when the next municipal elections come around in 2018.