Continuing The Saga

The election was over. Morris was triumphant. MacEachern came in second from head of the poll.

The contrived and strategic questions of the all-candidate meeting organized by Susan Walmer, campaign supporter of Morris, no doubt contributed to the outcome. But it was hardly a sweep.

Twelve thousand people voted. Seven thousand did not vote for the winner.

A Sports Coalition had also organized an all-candidate meeting. The victory party was held at Aurora Men's Soccer Clubhouse.

Generally, a winner is conscious of votes not won. When campaigning ends, effort leans towards mending fences and striving to re-assure all will be fairly represented..

Not this pair.

An in-camera meeting was called almost immediately. A discovery the Mayor claimed indicated her privacy had been invaded and needed urgent attention. It was the first time a solicitor was retained by Council.

But not at personal expense, was the Mayor's adamant declaration.

Now it seems, though it was not obvious at the time, the vehemence of the statement was likely in response to staff advice given previously but never provided to Council as a whole.

I tend to deal with what I see, hear and read. The silence from the administration on the Mayor's predilection for retaining legal counsel always mystified me.

I had never dealt with the circumstance before. I may have failed there.I voted against the recommendation but I'm tormented that there may have been something more I could have done.

It was the start of a two year witch hunt. It ended with unknown town resources expended on two solicitors, no solicitor/client communications circulated at any time and advice that if there had been an invasion of privacy, it would be a civil matter to be taken up by the person whose privacy was felt to have been invaded.

At the start of it, a Special Meeting of Council was held to receive a first report from an in-house team of auditors. The system was shared with six northern municipalities and assistance from the Region.

Councillor MacEachern chose the opportunity to ask if their auditing included monitoring of telephone service. The question was not relevant to the business before Council.

No ruling emanated from the chair.

I called a point of order.

The point was over-ruled. The irrelevant question was repeated.

I persisted.

The Chair ordered me to apologize or be expelled.

I politely refused to oblige to either.

Councillor Gaertner declared her refusal to stay in a meeting where the chair was not respected. She left .

The block numbered five then. Morris, MacEachern and Wilson rose to follow. Councillor Granger still sat.

The Mayor looked back and said sharply. "Stephen, come along" .And Stephen went too.

A mystified auditor, mouth open in mid-speak and amazement still stood at the podium. Reporting had barely begun. A second auditor was present. The entire administrative staff were seated at the table.

New Councillors,McRoberts, Marsh and Collins Mrakas clustered together in confusion.

I myself sat securely in the chair to which I was elected.

A meeting barely started, was over . Nothing accomplished.

Nada.....Nil...... Zilch ..... Zero.

A shadow, May The Saints Preserve Us, of things to come.