Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Things You
Hear":
Quoting from the Toronto Star - "Ombudsman slams Sudbury
council for lack of cooperation in investigation"
Our office will not
tolerate municipal officials engaging in legal gamesmanship or political
gymnastics in order to evade accounting for their actions when we investigate
complaints that they met secretly and illegally to conduct city
business."
Does Aurora have an ombudsman? SHOULD WE?
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The auditor's report was received in an open meeting.
Errors were disclosed.
Council is obligated by regulation to protect the privacy of an individual.
Responsibility for errors may implicate an indvidual
For that reason, the closed door meeting is legitimate.
A further report is forthcoming.
Provincial law provides for the right to request an investigation if an individual believes something illegal has happened.
The town retains a firm of investigators should such a request be received.
Nothing I have written should be taken to mean, Council has done anything illegal.
We are dealing with an unusual situation .
We need to use all the facility provided to do it fairly. .
.
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That's a harsh statement for the Ontario Ombudsman to make about the City of Sudbury. Unless he is prepared to back it up with evidence that "municipal officials are engaging in legal gamemanship and political gymnastics in order to evade accounting for their actions"
There are two classes of municipal officials.; elected and administrative.
Politicians can defend themselves against intemperate language, whatever its source. .
Public servants can not.
Whence accountability of The Ontario Ombudsman ?
Who elected him ?
Or is he there by Divine Intercession?
Is that the sound of you opening a very big can of worms I can hear?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThe 2011 Audit Plan and Financial Statement for Aurora was approved Monday and was to be published on the on the Town's website.
Why is it not there yet?
What is the unusual situation you refer to? "We need to use all the facility provided to do it fairly."
Is it not the responsibility of Council to defend staff against intemperate language?
Maybe Ontario could have a phone-in Ombudsman? If something troubles you, you could ask for advice. I would like to have had an opinion on those secret meetings Mayor Dawe undertook, and might still be attending. I could have asked about it and received an opinion instead of having it still bother me.
ReplyDelete3:04 PM I am less concerned about defending staff from Council than I am about possibly scape-goating of a staff member by other more senior staffers.
ReplyDelete"...possibly scape-goating of a staff member by other more senior staffers."
ReplyDelete...or by someone sitting at the council table.