Mayor “Corrects” Councillor Buck

Posted by auroracitizen on January 1, 2010

On page 7 the December 22 edition of The Auroran, Mayor Phillis Morris, issued a correction about statements made by Councillor Buck in a previous letter to the editor — where Buck indicated that the Town’s Director of Corporate and Financial Services had been appointed without appropriate authority.

Mayor Morris stated “the information is incorrect” and that “the Town’s CAO acted in accordance with the Town Council adopted Staff Recruitment and Selection Policy and a council directive.”

However, Mayor Morris offered neither direction to the Recruitment and Selection Policy — wouldn’t you be interested in the actual wording — or to the Council directive — which would be easy to do since all minutes are accurately kept for exactly this reason.

What is most interesting is that when it would be so easy to simply direct people to the above noted information, she chose instead to make a broad claim without support.

Also interesting is the use of a letter to the editor. Is this a new trend we can expect for the new year. Time will tell.

Possible someone could direct our readers to the Council direction the Mayor indicates took place. That would put us all at ease.

Or possibly someone should submit a Freedom of Information request for this information — just so we have all the “facts” correct.

This entry was posted on January 1, 2010 at 6:35 pm and is filed under CAO, Leadership, Staff Turnover, Town Council. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

8 Responses to “Mayor “Corrects” Councillor Buck”

George Gonsalves said

January 3, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Phoolis living in a fool’s paradise! Woe is me!

Reply
auroracitizen said

January 2, 2010 at 6:49 pm
The following was reprinted with permission from Councillor Buck’s blog:

In a Letter to the Editor, the Mayor refuted my statement that the Town Treasurer was appointed without Council authority.

A reader wonders what to believe when a Councillor makes a definitive statement and the Mayor says it isn’t so.

The public record establishes facts.

Council makes decisions by resolution. Resolutions form the public record.

Staff take direction from Council Resolutions.

A Municipal Treasurer must be appointed by Bylaw. Only Council has authority to adopt Bylaws.

Council, by resolution, directs staff to prepare Bylaws. It’s all in the record. If not, it didn’t happen.

The public record does not support the Mayor’s contention that staff were directed to make the appointment. Council cannot delegate authority to pass Bylaws.

Provincial regulations require municipalities to adopt a Recruitment Policy… by Bylaw.

The Mayor claims the position was recruited in accordance with provincial regulations.

Recruitment can be done two ways. The position can be advertised, usually in the Globe and Mail and other suitable publications. Or by using the services of a consultant.

Either way, dates of publication and copies would be a matter of record. As well, the resolution if there was one. The Mayor refers to neither.

A Statutory Officer within a municipal administration may, on occasion, be in a position of having to provide Council with advice they do not wish to hear. Or anyone else to hear either.

To fulfill their function, professional staff need the security of knowing, they owe their lawful authority to the municipal corporation and not to a particular individual. The process needs to to be fair and square.

The public have a right to know professional advice bought and paid for with tax dollars is given without fear or favour.

And accepted or rejected by the political body. They need to hear the arguments pro and con. If they so choose, they have the right to decide on the logic or lack thereof.

It is the means whereby we govern ourselves. Anything less is a betrayal of trust, in my view.

I rest my case.

Reply
Anonymous said

January 2, 2010 at 10:59 am
Our mayor

“the mayor knows the rules, the mayor upholds the rules, the mayor enforces the rules”

The Mayor appears to make the rules as she merrily goes along.

Although, the Mayor put in her New Year’s Eve address proclaiming 2010 to be the year of change, I summize that she has no idea how much change is in store for her in looking for a new job.

Reply
- Anonymous said
  
  January 2, 2010 at 4:43 pm
  Ah, but just what is this mayor qualified to do? Her supposed H.R. experience is woefully lacking.
- Anonymous said
  
  January 2, 2010 at 6:25 pm
  To Anonymous of 4:43 p.m. That is a great question, maybe a blog should be dedicated to that and her supposed legal experience!
Anonymous said

January 2, 2010 at 9:57 am
http://www.town.aurora.on.ca/aurora/index.aspx?ArticleID=3173&lang=en-CA

Reply
someone who loves this town more than politics said

January 1, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Did anyone catch the hypocrisy here.

The mayor claimed she doesn’t read The Auroran at a recent council meeting, yet she published a response to a letter in it? Whatever.

I think Evelyn’s recent blog post covers the issue and the mayor’s response very well.

another example of playing “find the spin”

What is more fitting?

Our mayor

“the mayor knows the rules, the mayor upholds the rules, the mayor enforces the rules”

or Councillor Collins-Mrakas
“The mayor is not aware of or does not follow the procedures in a consistent, fair or appropriate fashion. It’s unequal.”

It seems to me there is a great deal our mayor is not aware of.

Reply
Anonymous indeed said

January 1, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Did anyone catch the mayors report on Rogers? Mayor Morris at her condescending best. Spin, spin, spin.

Reply

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