They know not what they do

Voter turnout in the last few elections.

2010 - 38.5%
2006 - 38%
2003 - 33%
2000 - 41%
1997 - 33.8%
1994 - 40%
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A Special Meeting of Council was held on  Monday to choose wording for a question on the ballot on wards. 

Council previously approved putting  the  question on the ballot in  October's election. 

Wording is as follows:
1. Are you in favor of electing all Aurora councillors, other than the Mayor, by ward vote instead of 
     Town -wide vote?
2.  Are you in favor of reducing the number of  councillors. other than the Mayor, from eight(8) 
     to six (6)  councillors?

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I understand  for the question to be binding,  voter turnout  must be 50%.

As noted above, the closest  turnout  in  the last five elections (twenty years) was the year 2000  
Turnout was 41%.

Each election cited had a mayoralty contest.

When there is none ,turnout can be and generally is as low as 20%.

Council also  recently passed a resolution to allow for "re-call" if enough people signed a petition.

Premier Kathleen Wynne  has announced  new legislation  to place  municipal councils under the oversight of  Ontario Ombudsman , Andre Morin.

Mr.Morin is not admired in government circles. He first came to eminence with the Special Investigative Unit, oversight of police where a death has occurred.

He was relieved of responsibility for that job.

Eyebrows raised when he was appointed Ontario Ombudsman. 

Aurora's  Mayor has commented  publicly  if he really  had CEO  authority, there would be changes
at the Council table.

He did not specify.

I will not speculate.

At a time ,when one hopes citizens are contemplating candidacy,  what encouragement is there in all of this  to take additional risk.

The Code of Conduct Act, Integrity Commissioner legislation. Conflict  of Interest  Act.

Ontario Water Act that could find  an entire Council guilty of an inditable offence punishable by jail time.

The normal  everyday process of  being a candidate carries its own self-inflicted  costs and penalties.

$100. registration :

Thousands  of dollars  costs of a  campaign.

Audited financial statements at the end of it;

Hundreds  of milles walked; thousnads of steps and stairs climbed.

Thousands engaged , at least half  with no interest in the enterprise.

On the fateful night,watching  the tally and finally, potential public rejection.

There are always more candidates than  seats.

People have always done it. Some, out of conviction ,two or three times before being elected.

Most never  risk it again.   It is not an enviable experience.

Now we have the Honorable Kathleen Wynne's government ,eviscerating the people's right to choose
and live with their selection.

At what point does priceless liberty become, for an individual, not worth the  price?

Are we perhaps there already ?

People  have authority and  power, who know not what they do