Be careful with your axe, Councillors!

“It would be very expensive for the municipality.”

Thank you, Mr. Gagnon, for your service to Elliot Lake. You carried a lot of responsibility on our behalf during the uncharted times of covid and much more before and after. As recently as this past Monday evening, I saw you using your authority to look out for the little guys. In that instance, to protect the safety of city employees working alone. As you pointed out, respectfully but clearly, it was your responsibility. 

When I heard of your sudden departure, the words spoken to council by Integrity Commissioner Robert Swayze, December 12, came back to my mind like the Ghost of Christmas Past. “They [staff] know that a majority of council can fire them with no cause at all. It would be very expensive for the municipality, but they know that so they’re going to be very cooperative with you.”

Swayze’s remarks about the difference between governance and management were also instructive. (His remarks are here.  07:20 is a good place to start.) 

I was in attendance at the council meeting Monday. No agenda items appear to fit this for the  closed-session meeting and no council meetings have been on the calendar since then. So, when did “a majority of council” make the decision?

I hope for all our sakes, the new council didn’t forget their training. As Swayze said, “it would be very expensive for the municipality”. And that’s us, the little guy citizens.

 

Stephen Calverley, April 27, 2023