About The Last Post

I had to produce the copy myself on the keyboard. It wasn't difficult. I learned how easy it was to bring the original back on screen.I did make one mistake though and a reader has drawn my attention to it. I repeated " listed" when it should have been "outlined"

Still I wanted to know why I couldn't copy and paste it. So I read further into the HTML error that came up on the screen. Noted the word "Meta" and "tag not allowed"
I'm gaining a little confidence . By trial and error
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Some things copy and paste easily. Why not others?.

I haven't yet discovered why the tag is not allowed or what "the tag" is. But I've learned " meta = author" and "author = Jason Ballantyne", the town's manager of communications .
How the information came through is a mystery. It appears nowhere in the document.

Mr Ballantyne reports to Mr. Garbe. I suppose being identified as author, although Mr. Garbe's name on the document, could simply mean the introduction was dictated.

But I don't think so. It has public relations writ large upon it.

It's interesting to get a peak behind the scenes. To realise how many people were occupied producing material to guide the public in their understanding of how wonderful everything is in the administration " under the guidance of an informed and supportive council"

I have never seen anything like that written by a member of the Administration.

The first statement by Mayor Morris to staff almost four years ago was reported to be.

If you work for the Town of Aurora, you work for me.

We have been advised, advisory committees, with an army a hundred strong of non-elected residents and one notable non-resident, do not make decisions. They make recommendations.
Council makes decisions.

Mr. Ballantyne's communication indicates the opposite.

For example, it states the Environmental Advisory Committee "hired" an environmental initiatives engineer in 2008.

Actually, Council approved $100.000 in the budget for that position. The administration hired the engineer.

The Mayor had previously stated in public , she planned to write a "Council Report Card"

It would have been accepted as election material and appropriate for a candidate seeking to be re-elected on the merits of previous accomplishments.

Except.... the work would have had to be done by the Mayor and or campaign workers.

It would have been a challenge to go through four years of Committee reports and identify all the accomplishments. Many man hours would have been required and paid for or at least the cost declared in the financial statement of election expenses.

As it is, public resources have been used to compile the material and produce the documentation; twice. A report to Council and a condensed version also requested by the Mayor to make it easier to read.

Directing town staff to produce election campaign material would qualify as an abuse of public resources which contravenes a clause in the Code of Righteous Conduct
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Staff receiving direction from a member of Council, even if done in public, also contravenes the Righteous Code.

Of course, this entire post could be written off as sour grapes.

My name is not listed on any of the Advisory Committees.

Other Councillors are listed several times .

The accomplishments of the Library Board or the Joint Fire services Committee are not listed .

I guess they don't qualify as endeavour in the grand scheme of things.