Whitby: Mayor Roy opposes plan to bar municipal officials from utility boards

Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy is raising concerns about proposed Ontario legislation that would change how municipally owned electricity utilities are governed, saying it would weaken municipal oversight of valuable public assets.

Under the proposed legislation, municipal elected officials and staff would no longer be permitted to serve as voting members of utility boards, Roy said in a statement issued Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. She said that would significantly weaken the ability of municipal shareholders to participate in decisions affecting the utilities they own.

The Town of Whitby holds a 32 per cent ownership stake in Elexicon Corporation, the largest share among its five municipal shareholders, which also include Pickering, Ajax, Clarington and Belleville, Roy said. She said that ownership carries a responsibility to protect Whitby residents' interests and ensure the investment is managed responsibly.

Roy noted that municipal shareholders of Elexicon Energy recently converted approximately $62 million in promissory notes into equity, demonstrating their long-term commitment to the utility and the communities it serves.

Roy said she supports the province's goal of ensuring electricity utilities have qualified, independent boards capable of making sound business decisions, but that the goal should not come at the expense of municipal representation. She urged the Ontario government to work with municipal shareholders to find a better balance that delivers strong corporate governance while respecting municipal ownership and protecting taxpayers' interests.

Municipalities are under tremendous pressure to deliver new housing and support growth, Roy said, and that growth depends on having the needed infrastructure and electricity capacity in place.