Monday, January 12, 2015

THERE'S GOING TO BE AN BY-ELECTION FOR WARD 2

Council voted against three options recommended by staff to replace the late Rick Shular in Fort Erie' Ward 2.  Marina Butler, George McDermott and Chris Knutt spoke in favour of a by-election and rejection of the options, one which included the appointment of John Millicone, the runner up to Shular in the October 27, 2014 Municipal Elections. Nominations open on 27th of January to February 18. Election will be sometime in March. (Here is where Kim Zanko, as Chair of Corporate Services dropped the ball. She did not repeat what was being voted on.)

What a difference in leadership between Martin the Meanie and Wayne Redekop. Redekop was very understanding and asked questions and even put town planner Rick Brady on the hot seat a couple of times. Redekop even agreed with Don Lubberts on a couple of issues.

Marina Butler was ill-prepared to be chairman of any committee.. Hopefully, she'll read her council package a little closer so she knows what is being discussed.

Loved it when Redekop chided the audience for applauding a speech by McDermott. I doubt they (the usual suspects) will do so again.

Don Lubberts suggested that the staff keep very careful records of the by-election as to costs, etc. This will be the first ever by-election to fill a vacant seat on council.  It could cost in excess of $40,000.

UPDATE: Council voted unanimously to go ahead with the by-election. James Culic, in his usual style tried to paint Don Lubberts as the outsider when, in fact, he voted with the others for the by-election.

20 comments:

  1. 40k that's works out to about 1.60 per person....At least the people still have a voice and the people will get to choose who they want....They wanted Shular not necessarily this other guy....I would rather have a by-election then appt someone I don't want.

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    1. If you're in Ward 2, you are certainly entitled to that opinion. I felt bed that John Millicone, who was in the audience,was not offered the position, mainly because he took the initiate and spent his own money to run against Shular. But, the people have spoken through their councillors whom I believe made a very carefully thought out decision.

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  2. What a bunch of hypocrites! McDermott spoke of democracy and the people's will when he voted for a by-election. Well, there are a number of comments from him about Don and the former councillors and we all know Marina chipped in for the conflict of interests suits. Larry Graber who will no doubt put his name into the ring for Ward 2 also filed a compliance audit against Paul Collard. That whole crew did everything in their power to discredit the dully elected councillors, including trying to bankrupt them and destroy their marriages and their lives. How dare they speak of democracy. Who's democracy, theirs? I am disgusted and they should be ashamed. They don't know the meaning of the word.

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  3. The entertainment value of this move alone is worth the $40'000 to what will be going on behind the closed doors. If entertainment is what you want this move is an example of what is coming in the next few years. How about those clapping seals in the cheap seats. A byelection? The first in towns history? Why couldnt they just get on with business? Let the runner up join the group? Can anyone imagine the quiet deals that are going to slide by in the interest of democracy? As usual like the script from a bad movie the illinformed look out on the landscape for a little tiny taste of election drama, while the rest of the elected small town reps get on with their personal agendas. Now untill April? That comes out to a little over $400 dollars a day to watch the show. Now, thats entertainment.

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    1. your math is terrible and does not represent what is going on with the by-election. As a ward 2 constituent let US choose who we want. More than 40k was spent over the last 4 yrs on things that made no sense
      Council could have easily appt someone or take the runner up but they didn't They are going to let us decide and move forward

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  4. Because $40,000 or more has been spent (wasted?) on things that make no sense over the last 4 years (a lot more than that actually, a LOT more) the rest of the overtaxed voters in the town are supposed to accept this nonsense?? For their sake we hope they get what they (we) pay for. Isnt that just like what has got us into this financial bind. A potential 9% increase in taxes and a reduction in services while the clapping seals at the council meeting think they are going to benefit from this new brand of nepotisim. $40,000 (or more) to be spent over as much as 90 days is in excess of $440 a day, for what? "They" are going to let you decide and move forward? With voter turnout at close to an all time low you wont decide anything. Only another waste of time and money (like we needed another one of those) and a distraction from far more important issues that have been long ignored and will continue to be at this rate. Old Rick must be laughing and shaking his head while he looks down on these goings ons.

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  5. For some people, complaining is a full time occupation !!

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    1. And for some being a sheep is a full out lifestyle!!

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    2. A reasonable question from Outspoken. "They" were not able to accept what the staff has presented as it did not include the person most of the insiders would want to fill the seat.Now an entertaining and unnecessary expencive by election. These electorates are steeped in election drama. Cant get enough. Now we get to watch what they had to go through. Just could have voted as per staff recomended and got on with the show. Now we get to see who gets voted onto the island, and spend at least $40,000 to do it.Those poor potholes in ward 2. Now theres going to be a spokesman giving them trouble. Does it get any smaller? Wow! Who won?!! Oh him. Is there anything else on?

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    3. What gets me is the talk about "Democracy." What a load of horse manure straight from the race track. Where was the democracy when four duly-elected councillors were subjected to relentless attacks on their integrity? Where was democracy when Marina Butler and friends helped fund the lawsuit against the four for conflict of interest? Where was democracy when a multi-million dollar lawsuit was dropped on the town just before the election? Where is that lawsuit now?

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  6. I find it interesting that all those clowns who continuously criticized the former council for not following staff direction are now quiet when this new council, at one of it's first opportunities, did just that! Do these clowns think that this is going to be the only time council wastes money? I could live with the by-election if it wasn't for the feeling that they are just doing this to get who they want in.

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    1. Would they not just make the appt then if they want to get "their" person in?

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    2. The old boy's club has done really well as using the guise of democracy (the election) to subvert that premise (we can fix that).

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  7. Wow I am surprised! ......NOT!!.........the only good thing to come out of this is a couple Ol Boy plants(Pissaro n Graber )may kick the crap out of each other. A 40,000$ prize match. Seeing the Meteors play would be far cheaper if entertainment is all you want.

    Poor unconnected average joe, Mr Mollicone never had a chance. Knutt, McDermot and Butler are showing their colours(another non surprise). Joe Average taxpayer will be ignored now for 4 more years.

    Little people, you know the 99% of us take note. The 1% club will not let you play.

    Twisted, screwed with democratic process FE style.

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  8. Butler and her cronies up there talk about democracy. She certainly didn't acknowledge nor respect the democratic process in the previous election, ah, neither did martin.
    Can't wait for the Conflict of Interest hearings to shed the truth, too late, but at least the four will get reimbursed, ah, by us taxpayers though, thanks martin for nothing.
    Don Lubbert did get the motion approved to keep track of the by-election expenses for future decisions. Wise move.

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  9. Who "they" want in was not in the running with the options that were presented. The rest of that little trick we will leave up to you to figure out.

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    1. After listening to Monday night's council meeting, I was truly surprised just how bad a leader/mayor Doug Martin really was. I also wondered how things might have turned out if John Hill and Paul Collard had had a chance to work with a professional like Redekop. So much more could have been done without the foolishness that reigned in council under Martin. Don Lubberts was able to ask all his questions without interruption; Redekop asked questions and never had a temper tantrum or threatened to leave; the Peanut Gallery was warned that outbursts are not tolerated in this council and Redekop did not have to be reminded every few minutes of procedure. Other than there are a couple of Chamber Maids posing as caring representatives of their constituents, the meeting went well.

      Note to Marina and Kim: please read the motion that is being considered before you "call the vote." People are not able to follow easily if you don't recap the motion. Basic stuff. Like READ AND UNDERSTAND YOUR COUNCIL PACKAGE so you can at least follow along and sound informed when questions are asked.

      Also Marina, you might want to make an effort to be visible in Ward 4 and attend BIA meetings, etc.

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  10. What is in my mind hilarious, are the comments made on the other blog, run by Greggers they thought how nice it was that council was going forward along with Region to formulate a beach policy, just about cracked me up, talk about speaking with a forked tongue, those clowns really take the cake.!!

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  11. Have to agree with Porgey. $75,000 more to some self serving group for a binder or 2 of ideas about our waterfront. Oh, and the "Region" that generic name for those bunch of tax wasters "match" it with another $75,000 of our tax money. Maybe that means we get three or four binders of ideas and observations. If this is "council" moving forward we think we better just hope to stay where we are. There are so many better ways to use tax dollars. Is this some example of the fresh progressive ideas we can expect from newly elected Sandbag? Or maybe he just went along with it because he's the new guy. What a boner move.

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    1. My personal favourite is the near quarter million spent on "sign studies." Duh. Put a sign up where cars get out of the toll booths announcing that they're passing through Fort Erie. Travellers don't care and all that money for a sign is not going to bring anyone to Fort Erie.

      And, while we're at it: anyone surprised that Target is pulling up stakes in Canada? At least the former employees of Zeller's did not suffer further agony by seeing Zeller's then Tatget close down.

      Prediction: Denny's in Fort Erie will be next. Maybe if they put up a couple of big signs on Gilmore or Garrison, someone other than truckers would find them. The Denny's we go to in Buffalo is always busy. Went to our Denny's last week and it was nearly empty.

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