What do Bill Belichick and the Government of Ontario have in common?
When chatting with alumni this week about the relationship between the province and municipalities, a conversation with someone who worked at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing stuck out to me. They told me it was important for them to recognize that they did not work for the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing; rather, they worked for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, emphasis on affairs.
Although municipalities are “creatures of the province,” they are still separate governments who can make their own decisions, and the province should treat them as such.
This philosophy was interesting and reminded me of the relationship between a coach and athletes on a professional sports team.
A coach makes team decisions. They foster team collaboration by calling plays and ensuring that the players are a cohesive unit on the field. It is then the responsibility of each individual player to perform their best and achieve overall success for the team. If the player does not perform, they risk intervention by the coach.
Similarly, it is up to the province to call the shots and maintain coordination. It must ensure there is alignment on growth, that economic development can compete in the global economy, and that the provision of services meets provincial standards in each municipality. It is then the responsibility of the municipalities to provide successful services. If the municipalities do not meet the quality of service expected by the province, they risk intervention.
To further indulge myself in this analogy, the province has favourite municipalities, much like how coaches have favourite players on the team.
Lebron James, Tom Brady, and Sidney Crosby have more freedom to make decisions than the average player. This is rightfully so. These players disproportionately contribute to the team’s overall performance because of their skill and are leaders in the locker room.
Similarly, in the Ontario context, the City of Toronto also has special privileges set out in the City of Toronto Act to have more freedom. Justified by the population and economic power that the city possesses, it allows for the most prominent city to be a policy leader.
The success of urban policy rests in collaboration between the province and municipalities. Innovative solutions to problems only occur when necessary guard rails are in place to guide policy development while also incorporating local angles.
These structures and relationships ensure a winning formula — both on the field and when creating public policy.
