In honour of New Year's Eve, Daryl Newcombe takes a look back at a very busy year in municipal politiics:
Before London rings in 2014,
let's look back at city hall and the year that has been.
A
table of seven in the back of Billy T's
,
Stephen Orser said it was just for burgers with cheese.
"Why would you go to a public restaurant to have a secret meeting."
But the
ombudsman's investigators were soon dispatched
.
One interview, then a second, when statements didn't match.
"What went on in the room is confidential," Bud Polhill said.
City taxes went up,
the mayor's
freeze reduced to a chill
.
Then
Dale Henderson bought a camera
,
and you footed the bill.
"Without a lot of taxpayer money," he said.
The mayor went to court.
He was sued -
but he won
.
And
in court again
in October:
Who paid for the wedding deposit for his son?
Summer brought the
debate over Penequity
,
Londoners asked to choose, between a job and a tree.
"Significant woodlands shall not be developed."
Can't forget
Trinity Global
Support Foundation,
or interest in
hydro lands
from the head of Leaf Nation.
Unemployment went up and then it went down,
and there's a
new plan
to improve London's downtown.
We can't repeat some of the words that came from council mouths.
Fontana said "Don't give me this bureaucratic [expletive]."
And as for apologies, judge for yourselves.
From Fontana "I don't need a lecture from you on how to apologize."
And White "
I apologize to all
. This is my final comment."
There were
Jubilee Medals
- just not enough.
And the spelling of 'Canada's London' drew Orser's rebuff:
"L-o-n-d-maple leaf-o-n."
And Brown said 'It will do nothing but confuse people."
Then came the ombudsman's judgement,
in a
scathing Billy T's report
.
It was an illegal meeting
But the mayor had this retort:
"His conclusions are wrong."
So how to sum up a year with both high and low?
I guess, thank goodness we're in London and not Toronto.
