Mayor's Press Statement On Council Motion

(Release Date: March 14, 2017)

As mayor of Carleton Place, it is my opinion that Council’s decision to approve Councillor Doucett’s motion authorizing the Deputy Mayor to act as the spokesperson for council on matters dealing with the media, is a poorly thought out motion. Although it states that this motion in no way prevents any member of council from speaking to the media at any time, I believe this motion is too vague and leaves the door open for far too many interpretations.

The real down side of this motion, besides the potential mix messaging coming from council and the potential confusion in our community on important issues, is the precedent it sets across the province within the other 444 municipalities.

The number of interpretations of this motion among the different councils across the province will cause tremendous turmoil, which in turn will cause a direct and indirect burden on the taxpayers of Ontario. The political ramifications are endless, from misunderstandings on councils, to misunderstandings in communities, to the misuse of this kind of motion for political gain or intentional political disruption.

I sincerely hope that the Province, The Ministry of Municipal Affairs, and the AMO can work together and figure this one out before this kind of motion gains legs, and replicates across Ontario.

Contact Information:

Phone: 613-257-6206
Email: lantonakos@carletonplace.ca