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Another article by the Toronto Star-- this time about the "coincidence" of another senior staff retiring.
We also thought the closed door of Mayor Morris when Rogers Cable came for an interview -- sans lawyer for Mayor Morris -- was a perfect symbol of her open door policy of openness and transparency.
A picture is indeed worth a 1,000 words.
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If anyone has the time or energy, I'd love to see a list of staff members, committee members, including the elected official and town contractors or agents (like the integrity commissioner) who have been fired or quit since the start of the term. Are we setting some kind of record here as a result of one big coincidence ?
We know that one whole volunteer committee was fired after years of service, and then both the CAO and Integrity Commissioner got the boot. We're now going on to our third Town Clerk. What could the common denominator in all of this be ?
At least the Town of Aurora is being put on the map ! Maybe Council is living by the motto that any press is better than no press at all, but sooner or later they have to get back to business. The summer fun is almost over.
What a total and unmitigated disaster !
Wow, doozy of an article!! I just wish it had pointed out two facts:
1. There is video evidence that the minutes don't match the meeting.
and
2. Certain instances, according to the Municipal Act, require a 2/3 majority for a vote. The vote for a by-election was one such instance. And that is why people cared that 5 to 3 is not 2/3.
People are confused on those two issues, and those facts haven't been highlighted much, although they are the ones that cement the issues for me.
Maybe we should institute a quasi-confidential exit interview with each staff member that is fired or quits ?
Ask them if their opinions were valued ?
Did staff and elected officials treat each other with respect ?
Did you have the tools to do your job ?
Was there any political interference impacting your ability to do your job as you saw fit ?
Where you permitted to share your views ?
Would you recommend the town as a good place to work ?
In your opinion is the Town on the right track in its approach to meeting the town's overall needs ?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the work environment since the last election ?
Were you fired or did you quit ?
Was there any one reason for your departure... please explain in 2,000 words or less.
Then we could publish the anonymous results just before the next election, removing of course any material that would indicate who the individual was.
Like all things in Aurora this would strike a balance between confidentiality and transparency, with the added bonus that we might actually figure out what the heck is going on at Town Hall !
Just a thought.
The only way that Aurora has an integrity commissioner would be if that person was hired by a committee that is not appointed by the mayor nor council. That committee then would interview candidates and select the best person for the job.There is no way that this mayor nor council should have anything to do with the hiring. They should also not have the authority to let that person go if they disagree with the decision that person would make.
I for one would love the opportunity to help put such a person in place. I would also suggest that other past councillors or mayors be given the same opportunity.
This job is too important not to do it right.
While others might think that I am biased well that might be true but who better to select than someone who has no ties to this council.
The national papers are having a field day at Aurora's expense and I am sure that a couple of other community mayors are glad that the pressure is away from them.
I can't agree more with Anonymous - Aug 13 9:02 AM
I think in the interest of integrity this should be formally proposed to council.
For the councilors that read this blog , and claim to have any integrity, please consider bringing this before council yourselves.
Should the GOS be stupid enough to vote it down at least this can go on the record as well, now that major news outlets are keeping a close eye any stupidity of this magnitude will only serve to entangle them further.
I can agree with Nigel Kean that it should be a committee that hires the new IC, but I don't think it should be anyone who has run or helf office. It may appear politically motivated.
On the other side of the coin which citizen would volunteer for such a position only to be subjected to Buck's poison pen, should they even try to step out of her perceived role for a citizen volunteer. Sher St. Kitts wasn't the first to be targeted by Buck.
OK, so Anon 9:45 has confirmed for me that Morris and Buck are two peas in a pod. That's fair to say.
Maybe we should pack them both off to Howard Johnson's for a weekend and see if they can work things out. A bit of candle light, music and a good long chat over a nice keg of wine. You know how it works.
Evelina MacEachern is a bit more of a challenge, but we could send her to some kind of intensive anger management course or Outward Bound where she can learn to work with people more constructively, but obviously it would have to be some kind of a long term program in order to make any progress.
Granger and Gallo could be sent to some type of remedial school where they could learn the power of critical thinking and the ability to communicate.
That might just do it !
BUT if not, we could just vote in a whole new slate of representatives and then burn some type of sacrificial offering to the gods of municipal government and hope that they hear our prayer.
It's a tough call, but something needs to be done.
Well said, Stephanie Allen!
Anon 10:46
Don't forget Wilson to the same anger management place as Mac. His body language, tone and actions (the flinging of the microphone) just spew underlying anger.
Actually in a fair and just world it would be a citizen committee that would hire such a position and for that matter the hiring of senior staff is also an area that should be considered to be hired by citizen committee. The outcome of the committee, is that we would have staff hired by the people for the people, what more can be said for democracy.
As for the comment directed at Councillor Buck, I completely disagree with Anonymous of August 14,7:28, I believe Evelyn would bring an elaborate amount of information and experience to the table. I would be proud to sit at a table with this Councillor and learn from her. This woman absolutely intrigues me.
As for the St. Kitts mention, as I am certain that you have noticed, and to the displeasure of some, she has not been mentioned anywhere for quite some time now, why bring her into the equation. I, personally, am quite sick to death of that name and that brings to light another committee suggestion, we the good people of Aurora, could form a committee for procurement of entertainment and work with the Liesure Services Committee to compile the necessity of events completed on a year to year basis. If George was to get the contract from a fair and unbias process then so be it, but it would definitely allow others the opportunities that right now are not available to them under this GOS council regime.
Evelyn is doing a great job she can take the credit for outing this bunch of egomaniacs and ignoramaces and their ways, but they continue to do themselves everytime they make a statement in the national news. I commend Evelyn on her perseverance and for doing an excellent job for the people of the town.
Now I shall go out and enjoy this beautiful summer day with my family. Have a good one!
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