A Youtube Video

is circulating of a typically British irreverent version of God Save The Queen put out by the British National Party. A few lines of the second verse seem particularly apt..

Scatter our enemies and make them fall
Confound their politics
Frustrate their knavish tricks

Join the party before our government destroys us and mass emigration is our only hope.

Heather's Note - Click HERE for the link.

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Council had a closed meeting on Tuesday. On Thursday, after contemplating that event , I informed the town solicitor I did not agree the agenda qualified for secrecy under the Municipal Act. I gave notice I did not feel bound by the rules of confidentiality and I looked forward to hearing from him in case I was overlooking something I needed to consider. I did not hear..

The town's insurance coverage was discussed and how Councillors may or may not avail themselves of its protection. Nothing secret about that.

A post in a political Blog from the Chief Administrative Officer was the second item. Nothing secret about that. It was published.

A third item, not on the agenda but introduced and read by Councillor MacEachern, was my post "The Buzz Around Town". After persistent challenge by Councillor Gallo, discussion was not allowed.

Never fear. Next morning. the Mayor called an emergency meeting to deal with that pressingly
urgent matter in the evening behind closed doors , prior to the Citizen Awards Ceremony. Alison wasn't there. Councillor McRoberts retirement event was that night.

I do not acknowledge council's right to formally discuss in secrecy or in public ,an observation I have made on town business under my authority as Councillor except during the course of a debate.

I did not attend that meeting

At the first meeting ,there was agreement to disagree between myself and Chief Administrative Officer Neil Garbe about his authority to enter the political arena.

I contend he can't. He argues he has the responsibility to protect the town. The solicitor also argues. he has the responsibility and that he is a Statutory Officer. He referred to Section 227 of the Municipal Act.

So ....I checked . The solicitor's contention the Chief Administrative Officer has statutory authority is not validated by that section of the Act.

Section 227 of the Act states a municipality "shall" appoint a Clerk and it spells out duties under Provincial Statutes. That's what makes the office "Statutory"

Section 229 of the Act states the municipality "may" appoint a Chief Administrative Officer. It refers to general and efficient management of the town's operations and "such other duties as assigned by the municipality". No Statutory responsibility is attached to the office of Chief Administrative Officer. He cannot act outside Council authority on Town matters.

Council did not authorize Mr.Garbe to engage a political Blog with an unknown moderator over an anonymous critical comment made against the Mayor, contend injury to the municipality's reputation and give notice of intended action by the municipality if they did not conform to his ultimatum.

The Mayor would probably like me to tell you she has had conversation with Chief Armand La Barge of York Regional Police. She noted police involvement means entry and search of a person's home.

My daughter Theresa, always likes to hear what happened at council on Tuesday. If she's not up when I get home, she calls me from work on Wednesday. I gave her a sense of things.

"Mum" she said, " I think ...they think ...you are the Moderator of the Aurora Citizen Blog.They thought an ultimatum would scare the bejasus out of you , the critical comment would be retracted, an apology made, the contributor would be outed and when that strategy didn't work, the Mayor cited her connection with Police Chief Armand La Barge and noted the police would be able to enter a person's home and search".

Well... I thought..... why didn't I think of that?

Quick as a whip, I thought about something else. the Mayor said staff had not been able to do their own work for more than a week because they were fully occupied with this issue. Lawyer John Mascarin, who assisted with the by-election issue, has been consulted and who knows how many more town resources will be used before they're done with this particular "knavish trick".

And all I can do about it is tell you what's going on that shouldn't be going on, behind the scenes.