Integrity Commissioner Investigation Demanded

On Monday of this week, Toronto Mayor was ordered removed from his office due to conflict with the Ontario Municipal Act.  According to various talk radio and newspaper sources, the law about this matter is really quite clear.  The judge had no option but to order him out of office.

Where the Mayor went wrong is that he used his letterhead (which ironically he paid for himself) to solicit funds to support his football foundation, a sum of just over $3,000 while he was still a Toronto City Councillor. 

On Monday night, during Community Notes, the Regional Councillor John Taylor was very disrespectful to Rob Ford, referring to him as the "Former Mayor of Toronto."  While I guess it should be no surprise that the left-wing is happy to rid themselves of a formidable political opponent,  Mr. Taylor's remarks were crass and seen as simply "piling-on" the beleaguered Mayor of Toronto.  In my opinion, it was especially bad form to do so during Community Notes.  The political partisanship at Council meetings is really getting out of hand but one would think that if there was one item of the meeting agenda where political gamesmanship should not be welcome it would be during Community Notes.     

Earlier this week, I was having a twitter conversation with a Newmarket resident about expenses.  She got my wheels turning when we discussed Councillor Emanuel's expense reimbursement of 2 family swim passes.  According to her, these passes were donated for a school fundraising raffle. 

Well, hold your horses!

What is so different between a Councillor of Toronto writing a letter to raise funds vs. a Newmarket Councillor donating a raffle prize?  Shouldn't the Ward 7 Councillor be required to re-pay all the money raised by the school raffle or risk being guilty of the same offence as Mayor Rob Ford? 

Let's unpeel the onion some more -

Last night, @ClowncilWatch tweeted

Clowncil Watch‏@ClowncilWatch

Mayor Dawe solicites donations"make cheques payable to:AuroraMayor’sCharityGolfClassic"uses TownHall address In 2012 flyer.Conflict? #Aurora

 

Well, the Mayor of Newmarket also has a charity golf fundraiser and the Mayor sponsors a Prayer Breakfast that raises funds.  On Monday, the Mayor suggested providing funds to the United Way via the Mayor's Charity Golf fund.  I checked the Town of Newmarket web page and none of these events were listed there so it appears that they are not official "Town" events.  How does the community know if the Mayor crossed any lines?  Do we need an Integrity Commissioner investigation?  Does the Mayor need to repay all the funds that were raised by the Mayor's Charity Golf Tournament and the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast? 

 

And remember Mr. Taylor chortling about Rob Ford's woes on Monday?  Well in 2011, Regional Councillor Taylor expended a $100 sponsorship of a Warriors Booster Football Club Fundraiser event.  Please explain the difference between what Mr. Taylor did vs. what Rob Ford did (except that Rob Ford didn't actually use any City of Toronto money in his fund raising activity).  He gave $250 to the fundraiser and he also sponsored the event to the tune of an additional $100 and it is that sponsorship that crosses the line here.  Should the Regional Councillor be required to repay all the monies raised by the Warrior's Fund Raising event? 

 

I don't think the Town of Newmarket has a choice here.  The Municipal Act is quite clear.  We demand an Integrity Commissioner investigation to look over years and years of expense reports and require those members of Council who used their elected office to raise money to repay all the funds raised or risk being ordered from office by a judge.