Better Communication from Town Hall: Here’s an Example
One of my top priorities is better communication about Town Hall decisions.
Ward 4 residents deserve clear, plain-English updates on important Council decisions – what happened, how Council voted, and what it means.
At the August 10 Special Council meeting, Whitby Council considered an Educational Development Charges complaint involving 409 Centre Street South.
What was the issue?
The property is being converted from 16 units into 30 affordable and market-rent homes for seniors.
The Region of Durham had paid Educational Development Charges in April 2026. These are charges connected to new development and school growth. This wasn’t a decision about the Town’s regular property-tax.
The Region argued that the charges had been applied incorrectly and that the property should have been exempt.
What Council decided
Council upheld the Region’s complaint and determined that there had been an error in the application of the Educational Development Charges by-laws.
Council also determined that the property should have been exempt.
The decision requires the school boards to refund:
- $56,686 from the Durham District School Board
- $40,404 from the Durham Catholic District School Board
- Interest, as required under the Education Act and Ontario regulations
That’s $97,090 plus interest to be returned to the Region of Durham and the Durham Regional Local Housing Corporation.
How Council voted
Resolution #174-26 passed on a recorded 3-2 vote.
In favour:
- Mayor Elizabeth Roy
- Councillor Niki Lundquist
- Councillor Victoria Bozinovski
Against:
- Councillor Steve Lee
- Councillor Matt Cardwell
Councillors Maleeha Shahid, Chris Leahy, Rhonda Mulcahy, and Steve Yamada declared conflicts of interest and did not participate. That left five members to vote.
What happens next?
The school boards may appeal Council’s decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal. If that happens, I’ll share an update explaining the next step and what it could mean.
My view
When government charges are applied in error, they should be corrected. Residents and organizations deserve fair treatment, and government needs to be open about its decisions.
I’d also want residents to have clear answers to some basic questions:
- What caused the error?
- Why was the property exempt?
- How will the refund and interest be handled?
- What will be done to help prevent a similar error in the future?
Those questions aren’t about assigning blame. They’re about lessons learned and making sure the public can understand what happened.
How I’ll communicate with Ward 4
If I’m elected, I’ll share regular, plain-English updates on important Council decisions. I’ll explain what was decided, how the vote went, what it means for residents, and the questions I believe deserve clear answers.
You shouldn’t have to sort through long agendas or watch hours of meetings to understand how Council is making decisions.
Read the official August 10 Special Council minutes:
https://pub-whitby.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=45011