Council's 'Culture of Secrecy'

Councillor O'Leary

September 24th., 2005

Halton Hills - Recently, the environmental engineer, Councillor Mike Davis, who, many on council have most recently ridiculed and sanctioned for riding his bicycle to council functions, deciding it was time to move on and 'bury the hatchet', during the September 19^th, 2005 council meeting, Davis suggested to council; they move on and work together for the better good of the community.

Previously, at a June 13^th, 2005 council meeting, Councillor Davis forced council to record a stand-up vote over what essentially was; council voting to give back Mattamy Homes, a corporation who had contributed to election campaigns of four council members, over $153,000.00 from Mattamy's gateway maintenance fee contract agreement with the Town. If Davis had not forced the stand-up vote, there would have been no record of which councillor voted to give the $150,000.00 to the developer.

Under the current Municipal Act, those councillors who received money from the developer are not required, by law, to report a conflict of interest when voting on issues that might benefit the corporation that gave them money towards their election campaigns.

Councillor Davis attempted to reach out to council and 'bury the hatchet', but was once again met with starch criticism from Councillor O'Leary and the Mayor, Rick Bonnette.

Bonnette, who had received the maximum campaign contribution amount allowed by law  from Mattamy Homes, lectured Davis on the principles of democracy while at the same time criticized him for talking to the press, instead of walking through the Mayor's office door to be consulted by him (the Mayor).

Councillor O'Leary insinuated there was something wrong in Davis's request to record the stand-up vote, he continually demanded an apology from Davis for insinuations that O'Leary had clearly mis-comprehended.

Instead of moving on for the greater good of the community, O'Leary's poorly orchestrated drama made it appear as though Bonnette and O'Leary were more interested in burying the hatchet in Davis's back, for not jumping through the Mayor's whooped door, than moving on for the benefit of the community.

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