Mississauga Musings

CITY OF MISSISSAUGA TO DUCK THE ONTARIO OMBUDSMAN

It's official.

The Corporation of the City of Mississauga will attempt to duck the Ontario Ombudsman and go with Local Authority Services. This is confirmed in the December 6, 2007 General Committee Agenda --click here.

Here ya go.

"RECOMMENDATION

1. That City Council approve the draft policies on Accountability and Transparency and on Delegation attached to Corporate Report dated November 19, 2007 from the City Solicitor with respect to requirements for compliance with the Municipal Act.

2. That City Council approve the model described in the Corporate Report dated November 19, 2007 from the City Solicitor for appointing an Investigator to investigate complaints in respect of a meeting or part of a meeting of Council or Committee of Council or its local boards and their committees, that was closed to the public;

3 That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized to execute an agreement in form and content satisfactory to the City Solicitor with the Local Authority Services Ltd. ("LAS") respecting the appointment of an investigator under Section 239.2 of the Municipal Act, 2001 (“Act”) and that the necessary by-law be authorized."

Video: CITY SNICKERS --Ousting the Ontario Ombudsman

(Click here to go directly to YouTube)

The "Trust Quality Excellence Moving Forward Leading Today for Tomorrow" people denying Mississaugans access to a free investigation by our Ontario Ombudsman...

Zero surprise.

I just want to show you how obscene this is --coming from the Mayor who's trumpeting the accountable-responsible deportment of Canada's municipalities in the CITIES NOW campaign.

Follow along.

We get this in yesterday's Mississauga News!

"November 30, 2007 - Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion is calling out Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty....

...'I challenge him to come out to Mississauga and show us where we are not efficient and have not set money aside,' she told The Globe and Mail."

CHALLENGE FLAHERTY TO "SHOW US WHERE WE ARE NOT EFFICIENT"?

This from a mayor just fresh from Monday's Audit Committee meeting? Which followed on the heels of the September 24th Audit Commitee meeting?

CHALLENGE FLAHERTY TO "SHOW US WHERE WE ARE NOT EFFICIENT"? PUHHLEEEEASE

"show us where we are no effiicient"? Here. Allow me!

Example: (Audit Committee: September 24, 2007) About the Facilities and Property Management Capital Maintenance Contracts Audit Mayor McCallion had this to say (transcribed from my video record of that meeting):

"I have real concerns about this report, I have to tell you. I don't think I want to go over all the questions --but it certainly doesn't represent our philosophy of running the city like a business. I was really-- I have a number of questions--it's a very bad report. One of the worst that I think I've ever seen. So I have real concerns about it. I just can't believe some of the things that are not done."

And that wasn't all the Mississauga mayor had to say. But when you click on the minutes of that meeting, there is no reference to any comments made by McCallion. Why? I've mentioned this before about minutes --the stuff that's chronically left out. Surely a mayor's comments would be worthy of inclusion?

That isn't all. Those September 24, 2007 minutes (completely omitting McCallion's comments) were approved and passed at last Monday's Audit Committee meeting. Why? I mean --I got to ask, WHY?

And speaking of Monday, November 26th Audit Committee meeting. Once again, regarding City of Mississauga contracts --this time Urban Forestry, Mayor Hazel McCallion asked whether Urban Forestry was ever audited before (nope).

And then she stated (again transcribed from my video record of that meeting):

"It seems to be a trend as you go through all these audits --the lack of support. That's the message I get --all the reports, actually. And that for me is very very --important. That lack of justification and follow up --not that anything may have gone wrong. But it's by luck rather than by good management."

That was Monday. And by Friday the Mayor is challenging Jim Flaherty to scour Mississauga books to "show us where we are not efficient"?! PUHHLEEEEASE.

AND GET THIS

Hazel McCallion's grandstand-bluster to Jim Flaherty, "I challenge him to come out to Mississauga and show us where we are not efficient" --what? McCallion is prepared to fling open The Mississauga Vault-Books for the Federal Finance Minister's inspection?

And yet she'll slam the door for citizens' access to the Ontario Ombudsman over an issue as teeny as closed meetings? Six words.

WE'VE JUST HIT A NEW LOW.

Message to Ontarians. If your municipality is hiding behind AMO-controlled Local Authority Services you have far far more to worry about than "closed meetings". Waaaaaay more.

Please return later for an appropriate Mississauga-says-it-all photo.

In the meantime, some "homework". Video of what's at stake.

Andre Marin --Ontario Ombudsman at "Right to Know"

(Click here to go directly to Google Video)

Signed,
The (Help Help Help Help Help... SOMEBODY HELP) Mississauga Muse

P.S. In an earlier version of this Blog, I wrote, "The Corporation of the City of Mississauga has decided to duck the Ontario Ombudsman and go with Local Authority Services." Of course, that is not correct. As a result I changed "has decided to duck" to "will attempt to duck". Apologies for the error.
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That lack of justification and follow up --not that anything may have gone wrong. But it's by LUCK rather than by good management. --Mayor Hazel McCallion (November 24, 2007 Audit Committee)

"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear" ---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24)

FOR READERS' COMMENTS --SCROLL TO VERY BOTTOM OF THIS ENTRY.

"MISSISSAUGA --HOWZIT'S GOING" CARTOON ARCHIVE

Links to all previous cartoons in the Mississauga Howzit's Going series.

FELLOW-CITIZEN BLOGGERS

Voices of Ajax (Citizen-Blogger, Karem Allen)
TORONTOIAM (compilation of GTA Blogs)
Woodstock Ontario Independent News (Jim Bender)

FURTHER READING

Links to all "Antonio Batista Pothole Poet Trial" Blog entries have been moved to our alternate MISSISSAUGA WATCH Blogspace. Please click here.

MEDIA Bloggers:
Click here for John Stewart's Blog, RANDOM ACCESS
and Craig MxBride's X MARKS THE SPOT

Posted Toronto (National Post)
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