A motion requires a seconder to get on the table. A Councillor is not required to second a motion they do not support.
It's a courtesy for a motion to be seconded for discussion. Lack of agreement may even be stated at the time of seconding.
Staff can make recommendations without notice or permission. Delegations may appear on 24 hours notice and speak for 5 minutes to an issue.
A Councillor in Aurora is ham-strung by a Procedure of their own making . If successful in getting an issue on the table for discussion, a Councillor may speak for 2 minutes.
The courtesy was extended on Tuesday. Councillor Abel moved a motion. Councillor Thompson seconded it for discussion but stated he did not support it. He spoke against the motion.
Three members of Council could not participate or influence the vote in any way because of Conflict of Interest. Two did participate before declaring the obvious Conflict.
Councillor Ballard was absent . A bare quorum were left to debate the motion. Two of five voted in favour. The seconder was not one of them.
When no seconder came forward for the simple motion for a review of the Farmers' Market Bylaw, it was clearly an intended snub.
It was particularly egregious since a non-elected person with a vested interest, had already been allowed 5 minutes of Council time to speak against the motion
Dignity and authority of Council has steadily eroded over the past number of years.
During Mayor Jones last term, a loser in previous elections, came to the podium in public forum soon after to upbraid myself . I had been elected with a forty- seven vote advantage. His voice would rise in hysteria as he spoke.
I informed my friend Tim privately after the first occasion not to let him do it again
But he did. I told him again I would take the matter in hand if it happened once more
The third time , The Mayor stopped him. But not before a couple of councillors, Nigel Kean being
one, indicated Mr.Wilson was being denied his rights.
The Mayor and the Mayor alone is responsible for protecting the dignity and authority
of Council. If he/she has no respect, the principle is soon obscured.
Each member is elected separately but once elected , Council is the representative body of the people.
If any member is disrespected, the whole is disrespected.
If the choice of the electorate is disrespected, the community is disrespected.
When a Council disrespects itself the community is betrayed.
This Council has not done that before. I think they planned it this time. I don't think they understood the implications. But there really is no excuse.
They are Canadians. They aspired to elected office. All of their lives they have lived under a democratic system of government.
Council Chambers are designed to de-note the separation between elected and non-elected.
No-one else has the right to speak during a Council meeting, unless invited to do so by the Presiding member .
Members of Parliament are referred to as Honourable. It's not done in deference to the individual . It's not a mutual admiration society.
The Office commands respect as the symbol of the right to govern ourselves.
However fraught with frailty and frustration that might entail, it is the best alternative.It is the one we have chosen.
The best part of my life has been spent defending it.
I am not about to back off now
ReplyDeleteCouncillor Thompson seconded Councillor Abel's motion even though he was opposed and spoke against it.
This is the responsible thing to do. Motions are generally not made lightly and only after a good deal of thought.
The fact that there was no seconder for your motion was a gross insult, not just to you but also to those members of Council that were present at the table and the mayor should have requested one of the councillors to second it. In my opinion he showed a callow disregard for the functioning of a democratic government that exists to serve the people.
If I were you I would put forward another Notice of Motion, identically worded, dare them to sit on their hands, and if it were to come before Council as a Motion I would challenge the members, and particularly the mayor, to allow it to die a second time.
I would hope that you draw a crowd to witness this dereliction of duty by elected officials should they once again refuse to second your motion.
I'm not sure what the Procedural By-Law says or for that matter the Municipal Act. But I will have a look.
From what I have managed to pick up around town, there is quite a bit of remorse that no one seconded your motion. I expect the excuse would be that they were concentrating on 'more important ' items -like the s-e designation [ which was a stunner ] and clear garbage bags [ which was just dumb ]-
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work,
Oh, I'm sure there's a tsunami of sorrow out there, 11:17.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteYou are quite right, procedurally, as usual.
MOTIONS
MUST BE SECONDED
1. A motion shall be moved and seconded before the Chair shall put the question and the motion is recorded in the minutes of the Meeting.
MOVER AND SECONDER MAY VOTE IN OPPOSITION
2. A Member may move a motion in order to initiate discussion and debate and that Member may vote in opposition to the motion. A seconder of a motion may vote against the motion.
Implicit in 2. is the initiation of discussion and debate. How would it be if all motions were not seconded? The town would die and we along with it.
The motion that did not receive a seconder dealt with a town By-Law, and in particular with an event and a situation that has on occasion gotten out of control. All the motion sought was for staff to examine the By-Law to determine whether any amendments might be required to improve an unhealthy situation.
Sitting at home watching the last Council meeting, and in particular the silent, unmoving councillors around the table frankly made me sick. I had actually voted for some of these people, and here they were depriving me of an opportunity to have staff examine and report back on a matter that certainly in the town's interest, and to which taxpayers have contributed financially.
I was particularly upset at councillors Abel and Thompson, two members whose intelligence is slightly above par. If my assumption is correct, then the balance of councillors venture dangerously into the sub-par netherworld.
Failure to second any meaningful motion is a serious failure on the part of those we elect, particularly since they are not necessarily stating an opinion, simply permitting the town's business to be conducted.
I don't know if a mayor can indicate that a seconder is not betraying a position personally held.
@19:16
ReplyDeleteIt is possible that the Mayor is not aware that anyone can second a motion & he need only ask someone or do it himself. As far as I know [ subject to correction ] he did not attend any classes on municipal government, the former clerk who used to keep him in the loop has gone and that information might not be in those little booklets on How To Be Mayor that he took/takes to meetings ...Just saying.
20:15
ReplyDeleteYes anyone can second it IF they wanted to discuss it. Dod you ever think that they did not want to discuss it?