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Mayor Morris Faces Legal Action on 2 Fronts

Posted by auroracitizen on September 10, 2009

Mayor Phyllis Morris is being held to account for her statements on 2 separate fronts according to The Banner.

First, Councillor Buck has taken legal action to demand an apology from Morris and Councillors Evelina MacEachern, Wendy Gaertner, Stephen Granger, John Gallo and Al Wilson, about the ads published in 2 papers which she described as “libelous”, “unfounded and unsubstantiated”.

She very clearly states that the suit is against the 6 specific people versus the Town or the Council as a whole. For example, contrary to the much discussed Town Code of Conduct, the matter was not handled confidentially, but was promoted through every vehicle at their disposal.

Mayor Morris indicated the suit “contains a number of unfounded allegations and it is wholly without merit and cannot be taken seriously.” We suggest she does take it seriously, since the legal system is not quite so easy hoodwinked as she feels citizens of Aurora can be.

However, it will be interesting to see if Mayor Morris and her supporters will still try to use Town funds to fund their personal war. This is a personal suit — let them start to accept financial responsibility for their actions rather than using Town funds for everything.

Secondly, and of special note, in the same article Mayor Morris indicated David Nitkin, through his lawyer, has also sent a letter to the Mayor demanding she cease making negative comments about his performance.

Apparently Mr Nitkin is fed up with the comments that Mayor Morris has made about his abilities and denigrating his reputation.

If you haven’t already done so, take the opportunity to review Mr Nitkin’s credentials. Among other things he is past president of the Ethics Practitioners’ Association of Canada and is a Business Ethics instructor at Schulich School of Business, York University. His credentials are impressive to say the least.

The Banner also did an article back in July.

But it seems Mayor Morris felt he was unqualified for the job and resultant he was fired. What qualifications were missing — possibly the willingness to follow her direction without question?

Stay tuned. This will only get more interesting as the stories unfold.

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Posted in Integrity, Leadership, Legal, Town Council | 47 Comments »

Toronto Star: Council spat gets uglier

Posted by auroracitizen on September 9, 2009

Council spat gets uglier in Aurora
Sep 09, 2009 04:30 AM
Gail Swainson – Staff Reporter

Aurora Mayor Phyllis Morris is planning on taking her version of events surrounding the firing of the town’s integrity commissioner directly to the citizens.

David Nitkin was fired in July, a day after issuing a report on a complaint lodged by five members of the council, plus the mayor, against a fellow politician.

The complaint, over Councillor Evelyn Buck’s outspoken blog, was “unacceptable” and perhaps sparked by political interference, Nitkin said in his report, which council released and dealt with publicly for the first time last night.

Nitkin didn’t rule on the merits of the code of conduct complaint against Buck, saying it was “ill formed, incomplete and inappropriate.” But he was otherwise blunt in his assessment of the reasons behind the complaint, using words such as “vexatious” and “frivolous.”

The complaint was filed after posts on Buck’s blog, called “Our Town and its Business,” criticized staff for not following council procedures, something Morris says is untrue.

The sordid public spat has caused a deep rift on council and sparked a public debate in sleepy Aurora.

Morris had issued a statement saying the town’s conduct code states council members should “refrain” from criticizing staff.

But after a committee backed her plan last night, she said “it’s time council put out a statement.”

If Mayor Morris is so concerned about openness and transparency and putting out a statement — why doesn’t Council publish the full Nitkin report so everyone can see his full response?
They published the full complaint and will be publishing her version — doesn’t Nitkin’s report deserve the same coverage?

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Posted in Code of Ethics, Integrity, Leadership, Town Council | 29 Comments »

An Interesting Turn of Phrase

Posted by auroracitizen on September 8, 2009

A recent article in The Banner, indicated Mayor Phyllis Morris met with Municipal Affairs and Housing Ministry staff and offered input on the town’s experiences with creating a code of conduct and selecting an integrity commissioner.

Mayor Morris also stated,“They asked for my input also.” Does that imply that the Ministry initiated contact?

However, Municipal Affairs spokesperson Andrea Kelly said,“Municipal government is a mature level of government, but we’re always open and willing to listen to new ideas.”

Mayor Morris indicated they asked. The Municipal Affairs spokesperson indicated they listened.

For those who really care about openness and transparency, Andrea Kelly is the Media Relations Coordinator within Issues Management of the Communications Branch of Municipal Affairs.

Did Municipal Affairs really solicit her advice as implied, or did she contact them herself and they simply listened politely?

Wouldn’t it be interesting to know what senior policy advisor she actually met with that was so interested in her advice on hiring and firing Integrity Commissioners. Or was someone just being polite to a local politician?

We wonder if you could get a straight yes or no from Mayor Morris on who called who, and who she spoke to. Or is she twisting words and facts to lead people to inaccurate conclusions?

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Posted in Code of Ethics, Integrity, Leadership | 3 Comments »

The Spin Continues

Posted by auroracitizen on September 7, 2009

What a week; an ad in local papers, the release of the Integrity Commissioners report, a response from the Mayor and even articles from the ever friendly Banner about Mayor Morris and her leadership and influence with provincial staff. The spin continues.

The agenda for the next General Committee meeting on Sept 8 finally contains the full report from the Integrity Commissioner — as well as a well spun response from Mayor Morris.

Please take the opportunity to read both and form your own opinions. They can be found on the Town website here.

You will need to scroll down to the last 2 agenda items 22 & 23 to see the full text.

The Commissioner sets up his decision with 4 points:

  1. The commissioner will not conduct an inquiry if the matter is frivolous, vexatious, not made in good faith or insufficient grounds.
  2. In addition to the above, the commissioner may dismiss a complaint if it is seen as an abuse of power
  3. The complaint was ill-formed, incomplete and inappropriate
  4. The Commissioner gave the proponents the opportunity to provide additional information respecting the complaint, which they chose not to do.

The Commissioner therefore resolved that based on the above, no inquiry should take place. He further indicated the complaint was ill-formed, incomplete and inappropriate.

He also covered the issues of privacy and confidentiality — advising against the direction taken by Council. Lastly he was very clear about following “Due Process in Law” — something he may have some knowledge since EthicsScan wrote the Resource Guide for Municipality Integrity Officers for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO is a non-profit organization representing almost all of Ontario’s 444 municipal governments and provides a variety of services and products to members and non-members. Aurora is a member.)

However, providing an altogether different perspective is the response from Mayor Phyllis Morris.

Mayor Morris claims that “The Former Integrity Commissioner did NOT in any way rule on the merits of the complaint.” Of course she is right.

What the Integrity Commissioner did was throw the complaint out based on lack of merit — as stated clearly in his response.

Mayor Morris goes on to state “her belief” that the complaint was well formed, complete and appropriate.

One must wonder what her basis for this belief is based on — versus Mr Nitkin’s years of experience.

Possibly the much vaunted HR experience gives her this expertise. Or perhaps her work as a Paralegal. None of these qualify her as having any knowledge about the subject of integrity — and it continues to show.

The other question that should be answered is why does the Mayor get to publish her own report on the situation? Shouldn’t there be an official Council Report duly moved and agreed by the majority of Council after discussion — or is this another example of Mayor Morris knowing that she has 5 votes in her pocket so there is no need to follow process?

Lastly, why is this coming before General Committee instead of Council directly? Isn’t that the stated process — and we all know that Mayor Morris is a stickler for process. Isn’t that why they fired the Integrity Commissioner, for not following the process?

Consider attending the meeting on Tuesday. It will be worth the price of admission.

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Posted in Code of Ethics, Integrity, Leadership, Town Council | 17 Comments »

What Lessons from Senator Kennedy

Posted by auroracitizen on August 29, 2009

Whether you agree with Ted Kennedy’s political views or not, there’s something that can be learned from his leadership approach. Here are some comments made by a few of his colleagues.

Vice President Joe Biden said Kennedy’s secret as a legislator was “his lack of vitriol, his lack of pettiness forced some of the less generous members of our community to act bigger than they were. It was remarkable to watch.”

Senator Orrin Hatch, a Republican from Utah, recounted that when he came to the Senate in 1977 he had told his constituents that he was going to fight Kennedy. “I hadn’t the slightest idea that I would eventually have a strong working relationship with, and love for, the man that I came to fight,” he said.

Senator John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, said, “We disagreed on most issues, but but I admired his passion for his convictions … and his uncanny sense for when differences could be bridged and his cause advanced by degrees.”

Could the same be said for Mayor Morris?

This spirit of working together is sorely missed here in Aurora. Last term Councillor Phyllis Morris used a confrontational style battle with Mayor Tim Jones to campaign on the need for change.

Most informed voters now see what type of change she meant. Much can be learned from the comments about Senator Kennedy.

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Posted in Leadership, Town Council | 23 Comments »

Mystery Ad Sparks More Toronto Star Coverage

Posted by auroracitizen on August 27, 2009

Mystery ad blasts town council

Anonymous `coalition for a better Aurora’ urges residents to turf mayor and five councillors

Aug 27, 2009 04:30 AM — Gail Swainson – Staff Reporter

A nasty spat within Aurora council that sparked the firing of the town’s integrity commissioner has taken a curious turn: a bluntly worded ad in a local newspaper calls on residents to turf Mayor Phyllis Morris and five of the eight sitting councillors in the 2010 municipal election.

“In our opinion, individually and jointly, the group has made a mockery of the concept of public service,” says the large display ad that ran in Tuesday’s Auroran, which follows a months-long feud between Morris and outspoken councillor Evelyn Buck.

Five councillors, Wendy Gaertner, John Gallo, Stephen Granger, Evelina MacEachern and Al Wilson – all considered staunch supporters of Morris – are said to be tagging “meekly behind” Morris.

The ad calls on potential candidates willing to run against them to step up to the plate in next fall’s election.

Sponsored by an anonymous “coalition for a better Aurora,” the ad castigates Morris for allegedly “trampling and denigrating almost to the point of blasphemy” her campaign promises, and claims that she has a “manic ego.”

It accuses the councillors of demoralizing the town’s staff and forcing several senior civil servants from office, and alleges they “engaged in legal and other entanglements detrimental to the best interests of the town.”

Gaertner called the ad disappointing. “I believe I went into this for the right reason: to do what is right for the residents of Aurora,” she said.

Morris is out of town on vacation and, along with the other named councillors, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Buck and fellow councillors Alison Collins-Mrakas and Bob McRoberts are not named in the ad, which lists no contact number, email address or website, but promises to be the first in a continuing series.

“I think it’s a terrible reflection on our town affairs,” said Buck. “For the sake of the community, I feel bad that it’s come to this, but it’s a sign of people’s opinion.”

Buck denied having anything to do with the ad.

She pointed out she has already had ample opportunity to express her controversial views in a public blog.

She and Gaertner both hinted they had some idea who might be at the root of the ad campaign, but refused to say.

An ongoing war of words between Buck and the six councillors came to a head earlier this month when the town’s integrity commissioner was fired after just two months on the job, over his handling of complaints by councillors about Buck’s blog, titled “Our Town and its Business.”

David Nitkin, president of EthicScan Canada, was dumped the day after he ruled that the councillors’ formal complaint against Buck – for slagging city staff on the blog – didn’t have enough information to go forward.

Nitkin said pointedly that he thought the whole affair “raised concerns of political interference.”

The sordid infighting on council is the talk of the town, with each side accusing the other of abuse of process and playing fast and loose with the facts.

Just days after Nitkin’s abrupt departure, town clerk Lucille King, who went to work for the town last November, announced she was retiring after 30 years of municipal service, sparking another round of finger-pointing and blame-laying.

Last year, rookie councillor Grace Marsh quit, telling a local newspaper in a letter that she’d been subjected to “anger, threats and insults” by a deeply divided council.

Her resignation was followed by a heated debate and a 5-3 vote to appoint a replacement rather than conduct a by-election.

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Posted in Leadership, Media, Town Council | 5 Comments »

Citizens Speak Out

Posted by auroracitizen on August 26, 2009

Dissatisfaction continues to grow with the conduct of our Council. This ad was published in the August 25, 2009 edition of The Auroran — as well a number of Letters to the Editor.

Click on visual above for clearer picture

It may be another year until the next election, but the campaign to replace our current Council continues to heat up.

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Posted in Leadership, Town Council | 27 Comments »

Aurora Makes Wikipedia

Posted by auroracitizen on August 22, 2009

The controversy in Aurora has now available on Wikipedia.

2009 Council Controversy
In August 2009 a controversy erupted when the Aurora town council fired its integrity commissioner in a special meeting after receiving his first decision on a contentious issue. Three of eight councillors were absent from the special meeting. The mayor and five councillors who were present at the special meeting had filed a complaint with the integrity commissioner against councillor Evelyn Buck for comments made in her blog. Although the integrity commissioner’s report has not been released to the public, it is believed that he dismissed the complaint.[6][7] The council was criticized for the decision to fire the integrity commissioner.[8]

Links 6 – 8 refer to;
6. Aurora sacks its ethics czar”. The Toronto Sun. 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
7. Councillor’s blog ignites Aurora firefight”. The Toronto Star. 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
8. Aurora losing its aura?”. The Toronto Star. 2009-08-13. Retrieved 2009-08-22.

It will be interesting to see how long before someone tries to remove these factual links from the site.

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Posted in Integrity, Leadership, Media, Town Council | 7 Comments »

How Does Media Influence Our Opinions

Posted by auroracitizen on August 21, 2009

Recent news articles provide an interesting perspective on the role of media on our opinions.

For example, Debora Kelly of The Banner wrote an editorial Aug 12, in which she takes a fairly supportive position on the antics of our Council and the recent firing of our Integrity Commissioner. Providing lots of room for quotes and spin from former colleague and Banner columnist Mayor Phyllis Morris, Debora declares her opinion with the comment “Fortunately, the experience hasn’t dampened council’s desire to have a watchdog at its side. (Though, may I suggest they get an understanding on the complaints procedure before handing over the retainer fee next time?)”

Compared this to the point of view of the Editorial department of a more disinterested party, the Toronto Star “A war of words on the web and a bruising battle at city council has culminated with the outlandish firing of Aurora’s integrity commissioner.” and “Aurora’s aura of good governance is on the wane.”

Note that both of these pieces are opinions versus news stories. News stories are supposed to be fact based — while in editorials or opinions, the writer is expected to provide their own opinion/spin. Did Ms Kelley’s prior relationship colour her opinion? How was The Stars writer influenced by their prior knowledge of Aurora and Mayor Morris (Right to Dry??). We’ll never know.

Relying only on our media can be dangerous — because all papers (and blogs for that matter) have their own view of the facts. So listen to your friends and neighbours, read the papers, and blogs — but be sure to check out the meetings where you will see this Council in action live. Links are available at the top left if you can’t attend in person.

The next meeting to discuss the issue of the Integrity Commissioner is Tuesday Sept 8. Then draw your own opinion and join in the conversation. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Posted in Integrity, Leadership, Media, Town Council | 11 Comments »

Granger Shows True Colours

Posted by auroracitizen on August 20, 2009

Councillor Granger has decided to step out from behind Mayor Morris and stand up for his beliefs. However, it seems his beliefs are limited to “Mayor Morris is a fantastic leader and I love working for her”.

The key issue of the day — the firing of the Integrity Commissioner — seems unimportant when compared to trying to repair the damaged reputation of this Council and his leader.

Was this some attempt to get into the good books of the Mayor? Possibly.

Was it done with her approval? We suspect not.

Even she knows that an obvious puff piece that so blatantly praises her would be seen for exactly what it is. Pure rubbish. Give the Mayor her due, she understands the concept of spin. This was so blatant it has backfired. Sorry Councillor, bad move on your part.

Councillor Granger is living in a dream if he thinks Mayor Morris is an open and approachable team leader. He has probably found that out after this attempt to curry favour.

Which Councillor will be next in their letter writing campaign?

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Posted in Leadership, Town Council | 27 Comments »

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