......it is just another example of Comrade Miller and his clowns ineptness.
Toronto council is breaking the law by failing to appoint an ombudsman, insists Ontario's Ombudsman Andre Marin.
"The city is power-hungry and accountability-fatigued," Marin said yesterday. "Since January 1, 2007, the city has been breaking the law and failing to meet its obligation to hire its own ombudsman."
Mayor David Miller has been pressing the province to expand and enhance the mayor's power, arguing the city can't move forward, owing to an antiquated structure.
Even though the mayor is directly elected by more people than any other politician in Canada, he counts for a single vote on council -- the same as councillors elected by a fraction of those voters.
Miller wants to be granted the power to hire and fire bureaucrats and meet in private with his executive council, as a cabinet would.
He has the support of Premier Dalton McGuinty and will make a formal request for the new powers in the fall.
Marin said he's not opposed to reforms that would make Toronto more efficient and recognizes an argument to be made for a stronger mayor.
He said he just wants to see the city accept and fulfil its current responsibility under the law before it goes ahead, noting it's been 534 days since the new City of Toronto Act came into effect and a city ombudsman was already supposed to be in place.
"Can you imagine if you broke a municipal bylaw for that long?" Marin asked. "How many bylaw officers would be down your throat?
He said he had discussions in the past with the city manager and staff about establishing a civic ombudsman but those talks have dried up.
Stuart Green, a spokesman for Miller, said there is a process to put a panel in place to select someone for the job and the city is on schedule.
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