Recently, I attended a recent closed door meeting at Richmond Hill's Sheraton Hotel; featuring Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin. The meeting, which was organized by
The Toronto Taxpayers Coalition's Mathew Mcguire, focused on the municipal issues and how the
sunshine laws and
Bill 8 work or are supposed to work.
 |
| Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin visits York Region |
Sunshine laws were set up to protect taxpayers by holding elected officials accountable for city business and expressly allows for private meetings only under a few exceptions. Handbooks outlining its guidelines have been sent to all municipalities across Ontario. As
Ombudsman Marin stated during the meeting,
"There is no provision in the law that says that council need meet in private. It says they
may meet under certain narrow conditions, but, unfortunately, politicians have taken the exceptions clause
and stretched it like a rubber band,"
 |
| Toronto Taxpayers Coalition President Mathew Mcguire |
The Ombudsman went on to cite examples of the retreat that
York Region council recently went on that cost taxpayers $15,000 using the "educational purposes" reason, one of the few exceptions for meeting away from council behind closed doors, however, as Mr. Marin explains in the video report - eduction means learning computer skills or being trained in HR policy, it does not mean for strategic planning."
See and hear more of the Ombudsman had to say on his visit to York Region on
the video report.
The Toronto Taxpayers Coalition also announced an expansion, opening up a York Region Chapter and naming former Newmarket councilor
Maddie Dimuccio at the helm.
TP out.
