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Mayor Williams loses control in fractious council session

April 21, 2016   ·   0 Comments

Mayor Jeremy Williams briefly lost control of Orangeville Council on Monday night.

The fireworks did not start until about 9:40 – a mere two hours and 40 minutes into the council meeting.

Council item 12.14 was on the agenda. The item involved a request from the Orangeville Police Services Board that $441,000 be transferred from its operating budget to the capital budget. Councillor Sylvia Bradley was not in agreement, instead moving to receive the report and leave the capital items as unfunded items for 2016 that could be reviewed in the 2017 budget.

The Mayor, who is also the Police Services Board chair, stated that the board was merely “cleaning up the way we do things.”

“There were some previous policies that were not done well from an accounting point of view. In the past, monies were frequently transferred from operating to capital. This motion is meant to tidy things up,” he said, adding that it was “essentially revenue neutral.”

Treasurer Karen Mills agreed that “this would allow us to transfer surplus monies into the capital budget to pay for necessary items.”

Councillor Bradley asserted that “there was surplus funds in the Police Operating budget which the PSB went in and transferred the money to capital and bought a large number of items in December. This was done without approval of council. The $441,000 should have been a surplus for the Town of Orangeville. That (money) would have gone to other key items such as debt repayment or reducing the tax burden.

“These monies would have meant a tax reduction of approximately 1.25% for the residents. Council did not have a chance to make this decision, because it was already made by the Police Services Board instead of Council. Other departments would have been fired if they employed this practice,” she said, adding:

“Other departments do not act this way, the Police Services department should not be treated any differently.  I am really distressed about this, because it’s not like it was a little bit of money. We are talking $441,000 in December to use up a budget. This makes us look bad. We look like we are doing something under the rug. This money purchased items that were not in the budget. So how urgent were these items? I would like to see this money returned to the taxpayers of Orangeville.”

The Mayor then shared his emotional opinion. “I take offence to how we just passed a code of conduct to try to be able to get along and make things happen in this town.  This was for important things that the police needed. The operating budget should have been lower and the capital budget should have been higher.”

Councillor Gail Campbell weighed in with a defence of staff: “It is certainly not staff’s fault.”

Councillor Scott Wilson agreed. “Any board that I have been on and we had a surplus that was needed for a project in the future year, the committee passed a motion and utilized the finance staff.”

The Mayor asked for a vote.

Councillor Bradley’s motion, seconded by Councillor Wilson, passed unanimously. It read: “Receive the report and leave the capital items unfunded to apply the $441,000 to the accumulated deficit.”

This is when the fireworks started.

Mayor Williams said he had not recognized that motion and thought he was supporting the original proposal to transfer the operating funds to capital. He chided Councillor Wilson: “There is some confusion, so we will vote again. I do not think you are trying to pull a fast one, are you?”

Refusing to recognize the Bradley motion, the Mayor said, “As the chair of this meeting, I am not calling that to the vote”.

When the Mayor’s call for a vote on the original motion brought silence from Councillor Wilson, the Mayor said,  “I will take that as a no.”

Councillor Bradley was next. She stated, “I refuse to vote on something we have already voted on. This is completely out of order. We just passed a code of conduct and because you did not get what you wanted….” The Mayor cut her off mid-sentence and stated that he took her statement as a no. The confusion continued and if anger were a thermometer it would have been 40 degrees Celsius in council chambers.

Then Councillor Don Kidd asked for a second confirmation of what they were voting on. Like Councillor Kidd, many within the gallery were confused.

Upon the conclusion of voting the Mayor then addressed Councillor Wilson. “You can challenge my motion if you wish”.

There was no response from the councillor, who refused to recognize the Mayor.

If you are wondering, the original motion did pass – not the Bradley motion, the original motion.

A check with the Town Clerk’s office Wednesday showed the following results from the final voting on the two motions:

1. Moved by Councillor Bradley, seconded by Councillor Wilson: That report OPSB-2016-01, dated April 18, 2016, Transfer from the 2015 and 2016 Operating Budgets to the Capital Budget, be received;

And that the capital items remain unfunded to be addressed in the 2017 capital budget as mandatory items;

And that the $441,280.19 be returned to the Town’s 2015 operating budget as a surplus.

Councillors Wilson and Bradley                            Abstained/Declined to Vote; Councillors  Campbell, Kidd and Garisto, and Mayor Williams, No; Deputy Mayor Maycock                  Absent. In accordance with section 4.6 of Procedure By-Law No. 116-2003, Councillor Wilson and Councillor Bradley were deemed to be voting in the negative. DEFEATED.

2. Moved by Councillor Garisto, Seconded by Councillor Campbell: That report OPSB-2016-01, dated April 18, 2016, Transfer from the 2015 and 2016 Operating Budgets to the Capital Budget, be received;

And that the amount of $21,491.75 be transferred from the 2015 operating budget to the capital budget to fund the purchase of TASERs, as per the minutes of the OPSB dated December 8, 2015 and April 12, 2016;

And that the amount of $25,030.70 be transferred from the 2015 operating budget to the capital budget to fund the purchase of five (5) portable radios, as per the minutes of the OPSB dated December 8, 2015;

And that the amount of $149,709.46 be transferred from the 2015 operating budget to the capital budget to fund the update of the radio console and associated infrastructure, as per the minutes of the OPSB dated October 13, 2015;

And that the amount of $150,160.78 be transferred from the 2015 operating budget to the capital budget to fund the CAD refresh and modernization capital project deficit;

And that the amount of $15,000.00 be transferred from the 2016 operating budget to a capital budget reserve to fund the purchase of a K9, together with any incidentals, as per the minutes of the OPSB dated December 8, 2015 and April 12, 2016;

And that the amount of $8,750.00, plus applicable taxes be transferred from the 2015 operating budget to the capital budget to fund the purchase of a scheduling, payroll and human resource system, as per the minutes of the OPSB dated December 8, 2015;

And that the amount of $85,000.00 be transferred from the 2015 operating budget to the capital budget to fund the 911 upgrade capital project deficit together with additional costs from electrical upgrades still outstanding.

Councillors Wilson  and Bradley, No;                            Councillors Campbell, Kidd and Garisto and Mayor Williams Yes; Deputy Mayor Maycock                    Absent. CARRIED

The confusing and contentious topic was complete.

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