Thanks everyone for providing clues for my search There is still a missing link.
It would have been a week at least after the July 1st fund-raising event at the Legion on March 27th 2009 that questions started about proceeds.
Unless someone realized earlier, things were not as they needed to be.
The March 31st report from the Canada Parade Sub Committee of the Leisure Services Advisory Committee noted the following:
We're Canadian Ay! Kick Off Awareness Party:
March 27th Kick Off Party at the Legion : The event was a great success and all tickets were sold and awareness/kick-off goals achieved. There was a lot of media attention in the newspapers,on television, and a great time was had by about 150 Red Hot Canadians.We were able to pay for the event as set out.
Budget approved by Town -$10,000 with additional funds from parade float entry fees to be applied to the special Canada Day Parade General Ledger with the Town of Aurora.
****************
No further discussion on the event was reported in the committee minutes.
No motion was made to accept.
The last clause read as follows:
Discussion regarding support of Rotary and Sher promised to get prices for GGHG this year and to give those to Frank for presentation to Rotary in case they would like to sponsor the Horses and/or Band.
*************
That's all there is.
I did call a committee member and asked if the report meant what it appeared to mean. I was assured it did. "Bands had to be paid and caterers and the Legion".
I did hear the Legion received a payment of $5,000. I was unable to verify that though I did ask.
After that, questions started on the Aurora Citizen Blog.
No answers were offered.
The questions persisted.
Then I spoke to a police officer. He said the town was responsible for obtaining an accounting.
I had drawn the matter to the attention of the CAO. I was informed the town had no right to demand an accounting from the Dream Team.
Nowhere in the sub- committee of the town reports was the Dream Team mentioned.
I suggested the Rotary Club might be able to provide information.
The new Treasurer was entertained by that idea. He stated it certainly was not his job to inquire into the affairs of a private organization.
It might have been the first meeting the new Treasurer attended.
I was not entertained.
After that the St. Kitts woman came to public forum on a Council night and put on her display of righteous indignation. Tossing about unfounded accusations and unsubstantiated allegations that the reputations of herself and her husband had been maligned in my blog and declaring to all the world her intention to file a complaint against me with the newly contracted Integrity Commissioner hired to police the Conduct of Councillors.
The remarks were read from a written presentation. The Mayor requested the presentations be provided to the secretary for inclusion in the formal record of Council. St Kitts leaned to hand it over as requested. But apparently the exchange was not completed.
Councillor Collins Mrakas was seated beside me. She indicated an intent to call a point of order. I signalled back ..".let them finish"
The new solicitor attempted intervention twice. He stated it was not a matter for Council.
He was ignored.
A motion to waive the procedure Bylaw to permit the remarks to be recorded was declared without the necessary two-thirds majority. A motion for the remarks to be recorded was passed.
The remarks were not recorded.
In response to a challenge to the minutes,the CAO indicated a conference had been held by himself, the solicitor and the clerk.
Their decision was , despite the direction of Council for the remarks to form part of the record,that a synopsis would suffice.
It was and still is my contention, the municipality could not be held harmless if unfounded accusations and unsubstantiated allegations against a Councillor,permitted by the presiding member in a public meeting and approved by the majority, were to be published in the Town's record.
Staff did what they must to protect the municipality without at any time publicly acknowledging the real reason.
They said instead," a synopsis was better."
Pshaw!!!
It's a snippet of how things were done during the second half of the Mormac years.
A Council majority with almost an entirely new management team working in harmony together to accomplish,what we must assume to have been, a common goal.
The community's well being was not the focus.
The time was pivotal.
A comment this week indicates it was the moment people started to pay closer attention to council. After reading material in the forwarded links, I agree.
When I was trying to persuade Grace Marsh not to resign, I alluded to my conviction.
"We are not alone here. Never Never Never underestimate the attention people pay and how well they understand. They know when things aren't right. They will fix it "
And they did.
Still there are issues outstanding. Such as accounting for funds raised during the March 27th 2009 event held at the Aurora Legion in support of the July 1st Canada Day Parade.
Seven people formed the committee. Was there a consensus among them that no accounting was necessary for funds raised under the auspices of the town for a town event?
The question will not go away until an answer is received ?
The chapter is not closed.
We should reestablish the pillory as a public form of punishing miscreants.
ReplyDeleteFor those unfamiliar it consists of hinged wooden boards forming holes through which the head and/or various limbs were inserted; then the boards were locked together to secure the offender.
Rotten fruit and eggs were optional.
Another link...
ReplyDeleteProbably still not what you are looking for though..
http://auroracitizen.ca/2009/04/20/speaking-of-ethics/
I'm not sure I like the idea of a Treasurer who is uncomfortable with asking and answering awkward questions. Is the one who refused to tackle St. Kitts' book-keeping the same guy who threw a hissy fit over
ReplyDeletequestions about water loss ?
In a pinch. we can ask for help from a higher authority. The CRA does forensic accounting as its job. That won't get your money back but it might be worth considering.
Why doesn't Phyllis sue Sher ? She was, after all, the screeching, posturing cartoon character that acted as a
ReplyDeletelightning rod, drawing attention to Council's activities.
Without her performances at the Town Hall and meeting rooms. even at the Go Station, the gang might have survived.
What’s the big mystery , If the record shows that staff were required via a directive from Council to scrutinize this so called fund raising event and it is this very same staff who were minding the public mint, then answers should be forth coming.
ReplyDeletePerhaps a notice of motion is in order at the very next meeting , Give them a week to provide the info and move on. You should not expect the queen of snowball or any of their minions to provide anything nor should they be required to do so, If as you claim staff were charged with watching this charade.
Great. Sicc the tax man on them ! Does anyone know if an honorarium, or several, has to be declared as income ?
ReplyDeleteHonorarium
ReplyDeleteSounds like some screw-ball tip system using taxpayer money and we have no idea what criteria are used to 'judge' the worthy. This is not small change but hundreds of dollars flowing through the hands of people about whom we know very little.
I guess I'm late to the party, but why exactly is this an issue now, almost three years after the event?
ReplyDeleteWho is the hammer and who is the nail, at this time?
Are there no bigger, pressing issues, in Aurora?
Is this the official fight site for Aurora?
Who is served?
Late, but curious.
9:39 A.M
ReplyDeleteLate, perhaps, but also a tad disingenuous.
spent !!!"Late, perhaps, but also a tad disingenuous".
ReplyDeleteNot only late and disingenuous, but ones head buried deep and firmly planted in the sand, and unable to follow any logic. Try telling Revenue Canada there are bigger issues for them to follow after three years they find out you owe them , you'll soon see how big an issue can be , If public funds were to be tracked and they were not , then we need answers even if its 10 years ago ,unless of course you don’t give a dam about how Your money is being
spent
to Anonymous 6 January, 2012 1:03 PM
ReplyDeletePerhaps. But CRA is a Government organization, they make the laws and they go after the taxpayer. This situation is reversed - Shit doesn't flow uphill!
I have stopped reading most of this stuff because it's the same sort of "fighting City Hall" stuff that you are wrapping yourselves into and while it's fine to complain, no one has the capactity do do anyting about it.
I suggest that someone with a common sense head on his or her shoulders (and without the emotional reaction that most have) talks to someone at the Toronto Star - they like to dig into government crap like this.
The CRA will go anywhere they are aimed and they care not who provides the ammunition. If your books are a bit dodgy, they can make your life a misery that never seems to cease. What better fate to wish upon abusers of public trust ?
ReplyDelete