Aurora Citizen

At last nights Council meeting many were hoping that Councillor Gaertner would do the honourable thing and retract her comment about Mr Leach “doctoring” the minutes — yet none was forthcoming. Yet, surprising to some, she was allowed to address comments towards staff.

Comments on this blog asked why? We wondered the same thing.

If Councillor Gaertner did not retract the comment then the good name of Mr Leach is still besmirched by Councillor Gaertner.

In the absence of specific comments from Mayor Dawe and Council, one can only surmise that they hope to move on from this unfortunate turn of phase by Councillor Gaertner — possibly to focus on the things this council was elected to do.

Mayor Dawe has made the point that this behaviour is not to be tolerated.

Councillor Pirri has made the point that it contravenes the Procedural By-law.

And Councillor Gaertner has made the point that she lacks class and holds the Procedural By-law in contempt (and by default the voters of Aurora) when it does not suit her purposes.

We are also disappointed that Councillor Gaertner did not do the honourable thing, but if Council focuses on this behaviour they no longer are focusing on the key issues and are mired in personality issues. Exactly what many criticized the last Mayor and Council for — for using their position to try to silence Councillor Buck. How long would this continue if both sides stuck to their positions. How long are Council willing to allow Councillor Gaertner to hijack the Council agenda with her antics?

Hopefully by stepping back, Council has demonstrated some leadership that will rub off on Councillor Gaertner. Possibly she will also demonstrate some leadership and step back as well.

Apparently Councillor Gaertner was on better behaviour last night (according to comments) and maybe, just maybe, she has learned a little something about what is expected of her.

So maybe this is best. Although not particularly satisfying.

We can only hope and pray. Time will tell.

If you watched former Councillor Alison Collins-Mrakas’ past program on The Auroran-Online, one can hardly believe the scene that was being described as having taken place at the Aurora Council meeting of February 8.

Councillor Gaertner appears to have completely forgotten why she was elected and possibly is showing the strain of trying to serve those who elected her — rather than the community she was elected to serve.

Her attack on John Leach, the Town Clerk, accusing him of doctoring the minutes and her demand that the minutes of a previous meeting be amended to correct, in fact, overturn her own spoken word, is baseless, cowardly and demeaning to Mr. Leach and in contravention of all civil procedure.

“Minutes are to provide an accurate record of what happened. The DVD is very clear that I did not ask to move the motion. I did not raise my hand to move the motion. I would have had no knowledge that I would have been assumed to be the mover of the motion. In my opinion, if the minutes stand as they are now, this record has been doctored.”

Councillor Gaertner ranted on at great and loud length, repeating herself numerous times, despite admonitions from the Mayor and conceivably others present in the chamber.

All of this about a request by the Councillor Gaertner for a recorded vote that was seconded by Councillor Buck, and which request (motion) Ms. Gaertner now says she did not make and thus demands an amendment to the minutes.

Mr. Leach has subsequently viewed the DVD of the meeting in question several times and confirms that Ms. Gaertner did IN FACT made the request which in its context was taken as a motion, was duly seconded and voted upon by members of Council.

“At the time that this matter was considered, the motion was read out by myself and Councillor Gaertner requested a recorded vote. The chair, Mayor Dawe, asked for a seconder and the seconder was Councillor Buck and in doing so I believe he recognized Councillor Gaertner as the mover. It is unfortunate that she did not indicate at the time that she wasn’t the mover because I believe the Chair, as well as myself, understood that she was. Subsequently a recorded vote was taken and the action was confirmed by Council’s confirmation bylaw.”

Of course it is interesting that none of these protestations were made the night of the alleged incident — but only after receiving input from others subsequent to the meeting. It makes one wonder if her speaking notes were again written by others.

It feels to many like there are others sitting at the Council table who were not elected to serve — but have another objective in mind. This ongoing confrontational behaviour by Councillor Gaertner  (often supported by Councillor Ballard) is a disappointing facet to a Council that is otherwise trying to build good relations and work together. Ms. Collins-Mrakas also appeared to be very much puzzled by this entire episode, wondering what might have prompted it.

In light of the lack of apology forthcoming to Mr. Leach, Ms. Gaertner should have been expelled from the chamber for the balance of the meeting and docked financially. Councillor Gaertner’s refusal once again displays her total lack of respect for the rules of procedure when they don’t support her goals — which clearly is not to have a smooth running Council.

In the province of Ontario we do not have the right or the ability to demand the resignation or recall of an elected representative. If we had such a right, many believe that Wendy Gaertner would be gone from Aurora Council already.

We seem to have moved, following the election, from a dysfunctional majority of Council to a dysfunctional minority of one, or possibly one and a half.