Letter: Real Change Requires New Leadership at Owen Sound City Hall
In this letter to the editor, Jim Hutton calls for structural change at Owen Sound City Hall, citing a lack of accountability, rising costs, and a culture that resists public input.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Miranda, you've done an excellent job identifying many of the critical issues that most members of Owen Sound's council continue to ignore. You asked: What will it take to be heard in Owen Sound?
In most municipalities, the answer would be simple: speak up and expect your elected officials to listen. But here, it's far more complicated.
To be heard in Owen Sound, there must first be a willingness at City Hall to listen. Unfortunately, recent actions show the opposite: a town hall was downgraded to an open house for city departments, a remuneration committee was cancelled before its first meeting, and public question time was cut from five minutes to just three.
These examples suggest a reluctance not just to listen, but to engage meaningfully with residents. Changing that culture will be a monumental task.
Real change requires structural reform, beginning with new leadership—both on council and potentially within senior city administration.
We need councillors who represent the community’s voice and a city manager who understands the day-to-day realities facing Owen Sound residents, where the median after-tax household income is just $57,600.
After returning to my hometown following a 50-year absence, I was struck by how far the city had drifted from the vibrant, responsive community I once knew. I wrote a discussion paper outlining my observations, hoping to spark awareness among council. It was ignored. You can read that paper here: Owen Sound is Slowly Dying (PDF), and find additional analysis at owensoundtaxes.com.
When that gained no traction, I undertook a detailed comparison of Owen Sound with municipalities of similar size and makeup. What I found was troubling: Owen Sound's senior management costs were 30% higher than in peer communities—an inefficiency costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. These are funds that should be addressing essential needs, like improving public transit or providing basic services—such as downtown washrooms for the unhoused. That report is available here: 2023 Service Review (PDF), with more details at owensoundtaxes.com/services.
I personally sent this report to every member of council. Only one even acknowledged receipt. No action was taken.
So, what now? The entrenched status quo that has persisted for over two decades won’t change unless residents elect new voices—people who are ready to challenge dysfunction and work for real solutions. We have councillors who have held office for 10 to 15 years. It’s time for renewal.
To that end, I’m helping launch a new initiative this September: www.RemakeCouncil.com, along with a Facebook page, to support and encourage residents willing to step forward and run for office. Change will only happen if people are willing to put their names forward—or support those who will.
Myself and a few others have chosen to support this effort from behind the scenes. This fall, we will begin actively seeking community members who want to help lead Owen Sound in a new direction.
We hope you will join us.
Jim Hutton
Concerned Resident
Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of The Owen Sound Current and its editor or publisher.
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