03 – Councillors sided with lobby group over public interests

‘When all of this is said and done, 80 percent of Durham Region remains green’ — Durham council approves plan to develop 9,300 acres of farmland, May 30

What I want most from elected rep­resentatives is to be able to trust them. But how can I trust the coun­cillors who sided with a lobbying group over public interests?

On May 25, over objections from regional advisory bodies, agricul­tural associations, community groups, and the results of public consultations, 15 councillors and chair John Henry voted for a Land Use Scenario created by BILD, a developer lobbying group. Not only did BILD’s Scenario not go through public consultation, but regional staff also pointed out that BILD’s Land Use Scenario likely didn’t accurately predict the amount of land it would use.

Beyond the negative impacts on farmers, housing affordability, flooding, and our ability to fight cli­mate change, there’s the simple is­sue of trust; 16 members of the Region­al Council ignored the desires and interests of the people they’re sup­posed to represent.

They don’t have my trust, and so they don’t get my vote.

Peter C., Whitby

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