Kelvin Galbraith, returning councillor for Ward 1.

By Kelvin Galbraith, councillor/incumbent for Ward 1, City of Burlington

I would like to clear up some misinformation that has been written about me with regards to my conflicts of interest and the ability for me to be an effective councillor for Ward 1 here in Burlington.

In the Burlington Gazette‘s first article (Oct. 18), which stated that I said “I was never in a conflict of interest situation,” is a completely false statement. I have declared conflicts several times during the course of my term on development applications that were in close proximity to my personal residence and my business on Plains Road. I had stated when elected in 2018 that I would seek the advice of the integrity commissioner whenever an application or issue arose that affected my personal properties and I took an oath of office to confirm this. I have stayed by my word and sought the advice of the integrity commissioner several times and publicly declared conflicts of interest whenever those items were listed on the agenda for decisions.

To date, the only items that have required me to declare conflicts were:
1085 Clearview/Masonry Court — proximity to my house within 50 metres;
1029–1033 Waterdown Road — within 50 metres of my business property.

On March 3, 2022, staff advised of the follow dates regarding project milestones for MTSA work (which has subsequently changed).

As promised, here are a list of the key dates of the MTSA Area Specific Planning Project for your information:

  • April 14 — release of Area Specific Plans (ASPs) and draft Official Plan Amendments (OPAs) publicly
  • April 28 — Aldershot GO MTSA Public Information Centre/Open House
  • May 10 — Statutory Public Meeting for the Area Specific Plans and draft OPAs
  • June 7 — Adoption of OPAs
  • June–December — Implementation Stage
    • There will be a series of meetings/approval points with respect to:
      • Zoning Bylaw Amendments
      • Urban Design Guidelines
      • Inclusionary Zoning
      • Other implementation measures as needed

The advice memorandum that was prepared by the integrity commissioner on March 8, 2022, was initiated by myself due to upcoming agenda items for 1. 1029–1033 Waterdown Road on April 5, 2022 and 2. The above schedule of MTSA key dates including the statutory public meeting on May 10, 2022, where a decision point from council would be required.

Since being elected in 2018, I had been prepared to seek the advice of the integrity commissioner on any MTSA discussions but the project had been put on hold from 2018 to late 2021, due to work on the “Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown” project. Previous MTSA discussions were general in nature and did not require me to declare a conflict as per the advice I received. As stated in the advice memorandum, now that the discussions were going to be more granular in nature, it was time for me to recuse myself from further discussions.  

Subsequently, all dates that were provided by staff with regards to MTSA discussions have been delayed or postponed so I have yet to need to declare a conflict on the MTSA work. The May 10, 2022, workshop was cancelled by staff; there has been no ASPs or OPAs released formally or informally nor has there been any decision-making processes on the MTSA project, only a staff report tabled in July 2022 containing a project update and no decision point. There has been no meeting to discuss the details or decision point with regards to the MTSA detailed technical work. 

I had no issue sharing the integrity commissioner’s report with a constituent as it can be used by myself to explain my position if/when that item returns to an agenda at some point in the future. Why it was shared with the Gazette in an attempt to tarnish my reputation and hurt my election potential is an example of just how targeted councillors can be during the election period. It is truly a shame that articles would be written about this situation during this time that are false and misleading.  

The Gazette has also stated that there is a group of residents that share concerns about my conflicts of interest. I have heard no such concerns from any group nor the close to 4000 doors that I have canvassed during the election period. My ability to make decisions on behalf of the City of Burlington and represent my constituents has, in my opinion, not been compromised by the three items mentioned above.

Should I be re-elected, I will continue to be completely transparent about my conflicts and continue to seek the advice of the integrity commissioner as I have done throughout my term.

If any community member has any concerns about issues raised above then please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Thank you.

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Kelvin Galbraith www.kelvingalbraith-ward1.com
Ward 1 City of Burlington Councillor
kelvin.galbraith@burlington.ca
President
The Fitness Firm Inc.