BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to a story titled 'Councillors silent on code of conduct reprimand, penalty for Riepma,' published Oct. 2.
I am writing as a citizen who has run for council and has been observing council from afar.
I attended the council meeting Wednesday evening. A couple of observations:
1. The acoustics in the gallery are in need of adjustment. It is very hard to hear the proceedings. Even the students sitting in front of us commented that it was difficult to hear clearly. May I suggest that the city clerk use a head set, as they are very soft spoken.
2. The version of O Canada is embarrassing. In a city with a rich history of music, could we not ask our schools and musical groups to submit a CD and highlight the many talented groups we have? The Barrie Colts have done this in the past.
3. The "front-loading address" to council by the mayor, before dealing with the reports from officers, could be interpreted as trying to influence council before they might ask questions of the integrity commissioner. Are councillors not free to make their own observations?
4. Regarding the officer reports, I ran for council in the last election and the information provided on the don'ts under the Ontario Municipal Elections Act are very explicit. I find it difficult to believe that someone running for council thought it appropriate to use city resources assuming that they had read the documentation, which candidates are requested to do. A letter of apology seems to me to be a very "trite" consequence. As a school principal (retired) I did not ever insist on an apology, as a requested/coerced one is never sincere and does not usually result in behaviour change.
Tracy Strohm
Barrie
