Further Costs of the Newmarket Soccer Club Revealed

A very revealing blog posting by Councillor Di Muccio today sheds more detail on the Newmarket Soccer Club bailout fiasco. 

According to Councillor Di Muccio, the Newmarket Soccer Club is paying "interest only" on the $2.8 million mortgage until the club sells a parcel of land located in Whitchurch Stouffville. 

According to an online mortgage rate calculator, a 3yr mortgage term at 5% interest over a 25 year amortization period would pay approximately $137,256 in interest annually or a savings of approximately $45,000 less than if paying principal plus interest. 

The land in WS has been for sale since September and there have been no bids.  The question that Newmarket taxpayers need to be asking is, What motivation does the Newmarket Soccer Club have to sell this land? 

An experienced private lender would have included in the negotiated deal a time limit if it wanted to include a period of time for interest only payments.  That limit would have been short -- three to six months.

The reason that governments should not be in the mortgage business is because they don't anticipate contingencies.  In this case, the Town of Newmarket just assumed that the Newmarket Soccer Club would sell. 

Mark my words, this Whitchurch Stouffville property won't sell any time soon.  To sell a piece of land, you need a motivated buyer and a motivated seller.  The Newmarket Soccer Club has no reason to be in a hurry to sell. 

The bottom line is that Newmarket taxpayers are being shortchanged $45,000 annually while this property in Whitchurch Stouffville remains in the soccer club hands.  That sum of money that could have been put to better use supporting new programs for youth or seniors, or purchasing new recreation equipment or books in the library. 

I have heard some members of Council justify the "closed door" secrecy of this deal as necessary because any smidgen of detail could benefit a potential bidder.  What I say to the Council is, "I don't care, and neither should you."

Here is why I don't care about the selling price.  The Town of Newmarket is owed $2.8 million and not a red cent has been paid nor will it be paid until the WS land is sold.  If the soccer club sells this property for $5 million, $500,000 or $50, the amount borrowed from the Town of Newmarket is $2.8 million.  The Town doesn't get more of a financial benefit if the WS land sells for a profit nor are we harmed if the property is sold at a loss.  Therefore, thee only thing that Council should be concerned with is that the WS land sells so that the $2.8 million principal will commence to be paid back.

Watching this Council over a number of years, I have seen too many instances where the Mayor and his allies forget that they are supposed to be working for us, the general public, and not some special interest group/ developer/ or others.  These Council members have a responsibility to make sure this money gets paid back and their closed door secrecy is only impeding the repayment. 

My advice - STOP the secrecy & START being firm with the Newmarket Soccer Club.  Mayor Van Bynen and his allies - Regional Councillor Taylor, Councillors Twinney, Hempen, and Emanuel, need to do the job that voters hired them for.  If they are too timid to get tough, then now is the time to step aside and let others take charge.

(You can read Councillor Di Muccio's blog via this link:  http://maddiedimuccio.webs.com/apps/blog/show/42182574-how-council-can-help-the-newmarket-soccer-club )

An Open Letter to Mayor and Council, Town of Newmarket on Snap'd

An Open Letter to Mayor and Council, Town of Newmarket

It has recently come to my attention that the CEO of Snap’d posted a revolting photo on social media depicting his face transposed on to the body of a starving child. 

Such a depiction is not only racist, it is also dehumanizing. 

I would like you to note that his publication, Snap’d, is available in the vestibule of the Newmarket municipal building and it is displayed in other town owned facilities as well. 

The Town of Newmarket must send a clear message to the community that it does not make light of racism nor starvation.  Neither racism nor starvation is a matter to laugh about. 

Please do the right thing and order the Snap’d publications removed from all municipally owned facilities. 

Sincerely,

Nwkt Town Hall Watch

Newmarket's Era and Newmarket's CIA

Wow.  

I can only imagine the long faces at the Era head office today.

Darryl Wolk was the Era's eye witness source for the crazy story that alleges Maddie Di Muccio threatened the family members of the erstwhile PC nomination candidate, Stephen Somerville.

It is one thing for the newspaper to accuse someone of criminal activity even after the York Region Police have closed their investigation without charges.  (If there even was an investigation). 

But it is quite another thing to base that allegation on some crackpot, looney tune that Darryl Wolk has turned out to be.  

What else would you call a person who has been on a 72-hour rat-a-tat-tat twitter tirade, posting hundreds of tweets obsessively focused on Councillor Di Muccio.

What else would you call a man who calls himself Newmarket CIA? Or who threatens to throw a resident "under the bus" should the resident decide to campaign on behalf of Di Muccio this fall.   

  

Crackpot, looney tunes.

Wolk is no more a credible source for news than he is a credible candidate for elected office.  

If the rumours are true that the Era is facing a disciplinary tribunal regarding the authenticity of the threat story then I hope that Maddie Di Muccio is taking careful notes of Darryl Wolk's twitter feed for the past few days.  It will be all the evidence she needs to demonstrate that neither story nor the accuser are credible.  

The Era newspaper should accept the inevitable and admit that the reporter relied too much on the word of someone who isn't a reliable news source.  Surely the Era editor has seen enough of Darryl Wolk by now to confirm that Wolk's tin foil hat is screwed on too tightly.  

A newspaper owes its credibility to knowing when to print a retraction.  The readership doesn't expect the paper to get every story right, but at least have the integrity to admit when it got the story wrong. 

Jane Twinney Embellishes her Voting Record on Tax Increases

At the Newmarket Aurora PC nomination meeting, Jane Twinney was anxious to establish her conservative bona fides.  The Auroran was on hand to report on her speech.

PC Candidate Jane Twinney had this to say:

 

“My record at the municipal level espouses my conservative values. I have voted against budgets when taxes were not kept under specified target amounts set by my council; that included a vote against a tax levy I didn’t feel had the opportunity to go through proper consultation."

 I highlighted her comments on the budget votes because she embellished.  Whereas Twinney wants to re-create herself as a tax fighter, the truth is that she only voted against a budget on one occasion.  Every other time she raised her hand supporting higher taxes for Newmarket families.   

 

Here are the voting records on tax increases for Newmarket Council members, (all of these were recorded votes and confirmed in the minutes of the council meeting). 

 

Councillor Twinney's record on taxes isn't something she should be bragging about.  Maybe that's why she embellished it for the media. 

2014 Tax Increase vote -

In Favour:	Mayor Van Bynen, Regional Councillor Taylor, Councillor Emanuel, Councillor Hempen, Councillor Kerwin, Councillor Sponga, Councillor Twinney, Councillor Vegh
Opposed:	Councillor Di Muccio
(8 in favour, 1 opposed)

 

2013 Special Levy -

In Favour:	Mayor Van Bynen, Councillor Emanuel, Councillor Hempen, Councillor Kerwin, Councillor Sponga, Councillor Vegh
Opposed:	Regional Councillor Taylor, Councillor Twinney, Councillor Di Muccio
(6 in favour, 3 opposed)

 

2013 Tax Increase vote -

In Favour:	Mayor Van Bynen, Regional Councillor Taylor, Councillor Emanuel, Councillor Hempen, Councillor Kerwin, Councillor Sponga, Councillor Vegh
Opposed:	Councillor Twinney, Councillor Di Muccio
(7 in favour, 2 opposed)

 

2012 Tax increase vote -

In Favour:	Mayor Van Bynen, Regional Councillor Taylor, Councillor Emanuel, Councillor Hempen, Councillor Kerwin, Councillor Sponga, Councillor Twinney, Councillor Vegh
Opposed:	Councillor Di Muccio
(8 in favour, 1 opposed)

 

2011 Tax increase vote -

In Favour:	Mayor Van Bynen, Regional Councillor Taylor, Councillor Emanuel, Councillor Hempen, Councillor Kerwin, Councillor Sponga, Councillor Twinney, Councillor Vegh
Opposed:	Councillor Di Muccio
(8 in favour, 1 opposed)

 

Responding to @jheckbert

Please appreciate that I don't follow these people so I am sure you can understand why I have not commented prior to you bringing this to my attention. 

And frankly I don't actually know what was said because it must have been removed.  I can only imagine the worst.  At this point, lets agree to call them alleged comments (because I don't know what was said or who said them).

I had the unfortunate opportunity to write on similar matters on a number of occasions.  I invite you to read these posts so you can get understand my POV -
http://www.nwkttownhall.blogspot.ca/2012/08/tom-vegh-you-must-be-so-damn-proud.html
http://www.nwkttownhall.blogspot.ca/2012/08/these-are-your-community-leaders.html
http://www.nwkttownhall.blogspot.ca/2012/08/this-churns-my-stomach-are-there-no.html

After reading the above posts, you will be disappointed to discover that almost all of the political elite in Newmarket refused to acknowledge this dark event.   

And upon reading these prior posts, you will also note that even the Era (although aware of the use of the C-word), decided not to report about it, (although the story was covered by the Toronto media).   The Era has a disturbingly poor track record for not reporting on stories related to diversity, human rights, and equality.  If you need further proof, the Era did not make an issue about racist graffiti in Newmarket either until the Toronto media made it national news.  I would love to be a fly on the wall of the Era some days when they are determining what is "newsworthy" or not.  I am not implying that the paper is racist, but I think there is clear evidence that some of their upper management wear blinders on the blight of intolerance.

You attempt to link Councillor Di Muccio with these comments but do you even know if she is aware of them?  Before you debase the issue of intolerance by making such a crude attempt to politicize it, you should first carefully read her Bio -   http://maddiedimuccio.webs.com/aboutme.htm
and listen to her words - http://www.nwkttownhall.blogspot.ca/2012/01/sounds-like-mayor.html
and take notice that she is a member of Newmarket's Inclusivity Advisory Committee.  I am strongly opposed to anyone who tries to score cheap political points especially when it detracts from the seriousness of the allegations.

Although it isn't my place to be the one to defend her, I think you are way off base in your allegation.  Based on her track record, it would be a huge stretch to believe that she wouldn't condemn intolerance.  You don't have any evidence to make that assertion. 

But to put your mind at ease, why don't you ask her directly?

And therein lies the rub.  You, (and others), are using this unfortunate allegation as an excuse to attack a Councillor who wasn't involved and very likely unaware of what has transpired.  So I have to ask:  Who are you to be so self-righteous? 

And again, Councillor Di Muccio faces yet another far more severe attack by way of social media than anything ever faced by Mayor Van Bynen.  Yet it is him (not her) that running off and mewing about it in the newspaper.  I have called him a wimp before because he acts like one whenever his feelings are hurt.  Mayor Van Bynen's latest column was nothing more than a pathetic cry for attention.  He could have saved some ink by simply writing, "Woe is me."

If Tony Van Bynen is so strongly opposed to the ugliness of social media, then he needs to explain why was he so conspicuously silent when the C-word was being leveled at one of his colleagues?  I say we already know the answer: it is because he is a hypocrite.   

I acknowledge the ugly on social media and I have written about the ugly too.  But I also believe that social media (my blog included) is an effective means to keep Newmarket residents informed about their government and exposing the charlatans for what they are.

Glenway is the first casualty in the battle for Newmarket

Over the past 18-months, few have been as prolific on the topic of Glenway as I have been.  I wrote 7 lengthy pieces on the issue and after having the benefit of hindsight, I was amazingly prescient regarding the outcome. 

The purpose to this blog post is not to conduct an autopsy on the issue but to remind Newmarket residents (and more importantly, voters), what we knew, when we knew it, and who should be accountable for the mistakes that have been made. 

The following is a summary of my 2013 blog postings on Glenway.   Even though you may have read these words previously, it is my hope that this will help focus the issue of development in Newmarket going forward. 

Glenway isn’t the end of development in Newmarket.  Sadly it is just the beginning and that is why the October 2014 municipal election will be a battle for the very soul of our community. 

January 2013

In January 2013, the Provincial Liberals were going through a leadership race and I was imploring the prominent Liberals on Newmarket Council and the GPA to make the Places to Grow Act an issue for potential candidates. 

Of course, the record shows that none of Newmarket-Aurora Ontario Liberals (including board members and past candidates) who currently sit on Council or who occupy a position in leadership of the GPA heeded my advice. 

Current PC candidate Jane Twinney told residents on Monday that she now had ammunition to take to Queen’s Park but that statement is akin to closing the bard door after the horse bolted.  Why didn’t Chris Emanuel, John Taylor, Christina Bisianz and others sit on their hands during a leadership race where the eventual winner would be named Premier? 

Notable Quotes

My January 2013 blog post raised a number of important issues.  Here are a few:

“the people responsible for helping to elect the bozos that created the mess that Newmarket is in have managed to infiltrate into leadership positions of the groups that are supposed to be fighting these developments.  Huh?  How is that supposed to work?”

“Maybe if enough prominent local Liberals spoke up against this legislation, the next premier of Ontario will grant a stay of execution for Newmarket and save us all the headache that is to come.”

“I felt sympathy last night for the people who were led to believe that council has some authority here.  All local authority has been usurped by the Government of Ontario.”

“Last night was just ‘for show’ because the province’s Planning Act requires it.”

“Councillor Emanuel doesn’t explain why he favours high-rises to single family homes but I think if given a choice, most of Newmarket would prefer single family homes to high rises.”

February 2013

In this article, I singled out Councillor Twinney for hinting that she supports a negotiated settlement.  I was critical of the Van Bynen-Taylor-Emanuel ‘all-or-nothing’ approach which set us on  a collision course with the OMB.  Unfortunately, as the months passed, Twinney backed away from her position and voted against mediation.  (Only Kerwin and Di Muccio supported mediation in the end). 

Notable Quotes

Here are some quotes from my February 2013 posting. 

“In my opinion, these gentlemen have squandered too many opportunities for a negotiated solution to the planned Glenway development.  Their failed tactics have put all the chips on an OMB hearing … and nobody likes our chances at that card table.”

“Councillor Jane Twinney has posted something on Twitter saying that she supports developing Glenway but wants the current plan proposed by Marianneville changed.  A reasonable position in my books.”

“Hopefully there are other Councillors like Jane Twinney willing to stand up for the character of our community.”

April 2013

This posting was critical of MPP Frank Klees, who was behaving like a johnny-come-lately to the Glenway issue.  I called it a cynical ploy for potential votes. 

Notable Quotes

“I think a survey of residents asking whether they preferred to be neighbours with a development of single family homes vs a high rise condominium development like Slessor Square, would be overwhelmingly in favour of the former.  We are a community of single family homes today.  Glenway continues that tradition but Slessor Square and the Clock Tower do not.”

“Mr. Klees can’t be allowed to walk on the Glenway scene after being silent on Slessor Square.”

May 2013

The Town of Newmarket held a meeting at the Ray Twinney Complex on May 13^th.  I commented on the details of the meeting focusing on evidence that Glenway residents had been frozen out of the planning process. 

Notable Quotes

“How differently might things have gone had Council supported this motion and included residents from Glenway in the application review process?  How ironic that the Councillor whom the Shrink Slessor Square blogger deigns to reference as ‘persona non grata’ and ‘acidic’ was the only one who wanted to actually involve Glenway residents in this process?”

“Glenway Preservation Association members only need to consider the weak position that the Shrink Slessor Square group had with Council and notice the similarities in the Slessor group’s leadership with exactly the same connections to these Council members.”

October 2013

In this post, I was advising residents of Newmarket to use the Glenway issue to decide the outcome of the next election.  The facts are disturbing:  no explanations about why high rises are “good”; lack of openness and transparency; bungling negotiations with the developer; and so on. 

In one of the quotes below, I single out people who are affiliated with Yonge/ Davis car dealers as flawed candidates for council due to their interests in development.  This was written months before Ward 6 candidate, Kelly Broome Kelly announced her candidacy. 

Notable Quotes

“the Places to Grow Act can’t be used as an excuse to sell the Town of Newmarket out to the highest bidder.  We need to recognize that there are properties that should be preserved for future generations to enjoy.”

“These same council members who were once rallying to fight at the OMB are now quietly admitting that this route is a fool’s errand.  Yet council members orchestrated the events that gave the developer the right to make the OMB appeal by delaying their decision on the Marianneville plan to November 25, 2013, months after the deadline has passed.  Why?”

“I am looking to elect people who have no established alliances with special interests: including friends and family of current/past council members’ and certainly no one affiliated with any of the Yong/Davis car dealerships (who are keenly interested in selling their lands to high rise developers).”

“The reason why political parties are discouraged at the municipal level is to encourage members to reach across the table to compromise.  We’ve seen this term the brutal effects “bloc voting” can have.”

November 2013

I wrote about my disappointment that Council voted unanimously against Ruth Victor’s recommendations to negotiate with the Marianeville developer. 

Notable Quotes

“I have often heard council members speak about the need to allow Newmarket to control development, yet I have never heard any explanation why the highrise residential towers are preferred by this council.”

“It doesn’t go unnoticed that the developers who build single family homes sell out their inventories within days while lots approved for high rrise condos remain barren and desolate for a decade or longer.  Families moving to Newmarket overwhelmingly choose houses over apartment style residences.”

“Anyone who plays poker knows the differences between winning and losing is knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.  Glenway residents have been dealt a bad hand.  The best course of action would be to negotiate and see if you can’t get your parks, school, and reduced size for the condo tower.”

“There will be no honour in losing this high stakes game at the OMB.”

December 2013

In an article entitled Icebergs Ahead , I spoke about the disastrous December 10 Glenway pre-hearing on evidence admissibility. 

Notable Quotes

“Don’t be fooled by the attempt at positive spin around the right to argue the principle of development.  The Town of Newmarket lawyer will need a miracle to make that argument stick.”

“I don’t see a silver lining in yesterday’s meeting.  Maybe those who think they do see one were confused by the tinsel hanging with the Christmas decorations.”

“There are icebergs ahead and now is not the time for politicians like John Taylor and Chris Emanuel to downplay the significance of the evidential ruling.”

The True Value of Social Media to Newmarket Politics

I read Mayor Tony Van Bynen’s latest column published in the Era with great interest.  Although it wasn't intended as such, the column, entitled “Is there accountability with social media,” is an excellent reminder how lucky we are in Newmarket to have a politician like the Ward 6 Councillor, Maddie Di Muccio.

Now I unreservedly confess to being a fan of Maddie Di Muccio ever since she stared down old-boys club and beat them at their own game during the 2010 election.  It took a lot of guts for her to win.  And she has been showing her strength and smarts ever since. 

Today, while Tony Van Bynen is mewing about “inaccurate comments and skewed perspectives”, we are also cognisant that he hasn’t faced anything nearly as vile that Di Muccio has encountered via on line attacks. 

When was the last “hate-group” set up on Facebook against any member of Council other than Di Muccio, (as was set up in 2011)?

And which other councillor, other than Di Muccio, was the subject of various hateful email campaigns? 

How about negative comments about any other council member’s children or spouse?  (I am certain that even the most partisan of observers would agree these attacks are the most hurtful and vicious of all the things posted on social media this term). 

Certainly no other council member has been the subject of a You Tube attack ad and subsequent smear campaign (engaged by the local newspaper, most shamefully), as Councillor Di Muccio has.

And despite everything, she preserves and continues to do her job. 

And what a job she has done! 

In the history of this town has any one person done as much to improve the openness and transparency of our municipal government? 

Here is a partial list of just a few of the accomplishments that she has championed and achieved:

1)      On line recording of all meetings of Council (and not just the meeting where things get rubber stamped, but also the committee meetings when issues are discussed, debated, and amended) so residents can confirm that their elected official is working for them.  

2)      All council votes are now recorded and will be available for the public to consider.  At election time, we won’t have to take an incumbent word that he/she was a good representative.  We finally have a way to check his/her record for ourselves.

3)      She championed for Ombudsman of Ontario oversight of municipalities and linked her name to this cause.  This is finally something that province will enact soon.  When she tabled a motion to get Newmarket Council to accept Ombudsman oversight voluntarily, the vote went against her but she kept fighting for what she saw as very important for taxpayers. 

4)      Council member expense reports are now posted on line for the public to scrutinise.  I would like to have more detail on this report but even having the basic expense information posted is quite an accomplishment.  Previously, council members would regularly spend up to their expense account limit without a second thought.  Today, these same council members are competing to be the lowest spender of the bunch. 

5)      She surveyed the public about on-line voting and she was very open about posting the results of the survey so members of the public could see the data for themselves.

6)      She is the only member of council who regularly posts blogs about local issues and isn’t afraid to provide her own opinion as opposed to a sanitised version you get with other council members.

7)      She peeled back the curtain on controversial matters such as the soccer club bail out.  These are big issues around town but the public wouldn’t have known about them without Councillor Di Muccio releasing this information.  In the past, controversies at Newmarket Council were swept under the rug with closed door, secret meetings. 

8)      In the three decades that I have lived in Newmarket, I have never seen so many people engaged in municipal politics as I do today.  I think the reason being, love her or hate her, is thanks to Councillor Di Muccio. 

Most remarkably, Di Muccio accomplished all with this without any obvious allies on council.  (When it came to voting for an Integrity Commission, every one of her colleagues did so with apparent glee). 

But with her effective use of social media, and by getting the public to side with her, she was able to win the day more often than she lost.  So while some are complaining about social media, Di Muccio is getting the better of them.  That is the sign of a tremendous leader. 

Which brings me back to current Mayor Tony Van Bynen; where is his list of accomplishments?  Famously, (and thanks to Di Muccio’s social media) we all know the single motion that Van Bynen tabled this term.  Is that his only achievement?

As any surgeon or tradesperson will tell you, having the right set of tools and knowing how to use them makes a person more skillful and effective at their job.  There is a lesson for our Mayor in that analogy.   He needs to quit whinging about social media and start learning how to use it.