The Mayor's Dilemma

Mayor Morris is huddling with Chief Administrative Officer and Town Solicitor this morning. (May 13th)Ostensibly to determine what can be done about me and what I do here on this Blog and in my Letters to the Editor. Thousands of tax payer dollars have been spent already on a variety of legal opinions to ferret out a final solution to the dilemma.

Last night a person made use of the public forum to unleash a lengthy diatribe of accusations and allegations against myself. Public forum is an opportunity granted by council,for citizens to bring attention to concerns they might have about public business. Citizens granted the right to address council are bound by the Rules of Order.

When the complainant had finished her attack, the Mayor accommodated her further by receiving a motion to suspend the Procedure Bylaw, to allow the personal vilification of an elected member to be placed in the public record and referred to a private meeting between herself and town staff .

The gist of the complaints were that I had repeatedly insulted. harassed and defamed in my Blog.

Blog is a written record . Scrolling back to December 20th, 2008, and I invite readers to do so, there is no reference whatsoever to the complainant or her activities.

My grand-daughter Hayley Buck was in the audience with classmates ,parents and teachers. They were to receive their winning anti-litter plaqued posters. My sons Frank and Andrew and Hayley's mother Rhonda .were there to see this small member of our family being recognised for excellence.
First, by courtesy of the Mayor and a block of compliant councillors, they were obliged to witness an ignominious display of ignorance and such a gross abuse of power and process, the likes of which I have never seen, directed toward myself , an elected member of the council.

In one media or another, I have for more than fifty years used the written word to convey my opinion to all and sundry. I am a battle-scarred veteran of many political battles. Everything likely to be said about any politician has already been said about me, perhaps more than once. Still. I hold elected office by virtue of the trust of people who know precisely what might be expected from me.

In 2003, after an absence of fourteen years,I was re-elected to council. In 2007 I was again returned. I occupy my seat as a representative of the people. When I am dis-respected, they are disrespected.

Profound ignorance of proper procedure , patronising, insulting, demeaning, condescending and disrespectful conduct from the head of the council are frequently endured silently for no reason other than respect for the people we serve and the symbol of responsibility and authority of elected office which the council chamber represents.

I have made the observation before , the current Mayor of Aurora enjoys neither my respect, trust nor my confidence.

Last night's display in the Council Chamber of Aurora illustrates why more perfectly than anything I could write .