There was a Crooked Man..Who walked a Crooked Mile..He found a Crooked Sixpence..and Climbed a Crooked Stile

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Clear and Transparent"

How much $ will the Town spend in defending the named defendants in the lawsuit brought against them by you Ms. Buck?

Perhaps when you are done gloating over this small victory you can drop your case and get on with the business of the Town?

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I am not privy to how the defendants in my lawsuit are meeting the legal costs.

But I can tell you some of what was spent over four years to stop me from relaying information and opinions to people who voted for me in the previous election.

The first retainer was Mr. George Rust D'Eye who responded to an emergency call from former Mayor Morris. There was a reputed "leak" from an in-camera meeting.Mr. Rust D'eye was to "investigate" He provided advice that a Code of Conduct would solve the problem. It was better than a Code of Ethics because a penalty could be imposed.

The invoice was $16,200. The Code was written.The former Mayor stated Mr. Rust D'Eye had wrote it. I'm not sure of that. But the solicitor was present for press conferences and such so that would probably bring the total to $20.000.

There was advertising for an Integrity Commissioner who was retained in November. Signed a contract in the Spring. There was a monthly retainer of $2.000.

There was another emergency in May, a solicitor retained, consultations with Council,instructions given, report received, complaint contrived. filed and publicized.

A figure obtained at that time for the services was $70,000.

Then the Integrity Commissioner was "stripped of his authority" at the same time as a decision was presented,in August, noting "the complaint was wholly political" Likely cost to the town for service was $18,000.

Some months later, more advertising for an Integrity Commissioner. Retained on April 1st at a monthly fee of $3,600. He dealt with two complaints filed by the same individual who signed the first complaint.

His contract is expected to be terminated by March 1st.The sum and substance of the contract will be no less that $40,000.

A rough calculation of the total, including federal and provincial taxes would be $160.00. No doubt additional costs were incurred but that's all I know about for sure.

How much I have spent on legal costs is not for my reader to worry his tiny little pin head about.But he can be assured of one thing. It's too much to turn back now.

As Councillor Gallo noted last night. A Councillor should have a means of defending themselves against defamation. How much more true is that when the fault is with those who disregard the law and abuse public trust and resources in order to do maximum harm to another and with sufficient arrogance to disclose their actions to the entire world while they are about it.