CFN – Rumors are that embattled and conflicted mayor Bob Kilger is about to copy a page from his good friend Dalton McGuinty’s playbook and resign have led to heated allegations of infighting of council over who would be interim mayor for the balance of the term; especially over the latest oopsy about who was paying the Mayor’s legal bills for the upcoming May 24th bout with Deputy Fire Chief Rob Hickley’s request for the city to cover his Whistleblowing legal costs. After all; if the city can cover the mayor why not Mr. Hickley; especially if his allegation of Conflict of Interest regarding the mayor’s sons hiring at the Fire Department are true?
The battle lines not surprisingly enough are those in favor of senior councilor Glen Grant (Conservative) and Mayor Kilger’s favorite pet, Bernadette “Bernie Boo Boo” Clement (Liberal). Rumblings are that councilor Denis Thibault could be the deciding vote.
We thought we’d ask the public who they’d like to see as interim mayor from the councilors currently in office. If the mayor finally is shown to be in Conflict that could lead to the entire council having to resign for having violated their Declarations of Office and protecting the mayor instead of the good taxpayers of Cornwall Ontario.
Who do you think should be interim mayor? You can post your comments below and vote in our poll.
I choose None of the Above. There were 2 other people that ran for Mayor. Mark MacDonald and Nicole Spahich (if I recall properly). The mayors position should go to the next in line that pulled in more votes when running for the position. Therefore, Mark MacDonald should be the interim Mayor. Those that ran for council should remain where they are as that is what they ran for.
Clifford the mayor and this council actually changed the procedure so that previous candidates are not likely to have that opportunity.
http://cornwallfreenews.com/2012/04/the-optics-of-corruption-and-incompetence-or-cornwall-city-council-in-action-meeting-4-pm-at-city-hall-april-16-2012/
I personally would like to see André Rivette as interim mayor and I would like to see Mark MacDonald as the mayor when this mess is ironed out. Mark MacDonald is a very hard worker and so is André Rivette but the rest of them should all be put out to pasture – yes that’s right you do have plenty of corn fields for their fossils.
Bare Ass has to go and there is no other recourse. I am very happy that Mr. Hinkley came forward as well as the nurse Ms. Shay.
I hear Glen Grant is a very smart and down to earth guy. He is well liked in his community.
Another reason why none of council should get the interim job. they fixed this from the get go. It’s not right. I also remember that article. But I still stand by my opinion, it’s how it should be.
Clifford for the record I agree with you as I wrote in the story. If the Mayor steps down the person that finished 2nd in the election should be the man or woman to take the job.
Just one question, can an elected council even change it like that? Wouldn’t that have to be changed for all municipalities? I always thought that there is some law that governs this? Surely on some legal level there has to be someone that can see this move of basically stacking a municipal chambers with favorites for what it is?
Yes, you would think that the runner up in the last election would be asked to fill any vacancy left by the Mayor’s resignation. However, I do not believe that that has ever happened. If I remember correctly, the last time a Mayor vacated the position, Council filled the vacancy from within their ranks. The deciding factor was that the member chosen had no aspirations for the Office of the Mayor or Council in the next election (Dick Aubry). That could be an option this time and from all of the reporting, the only one who would qualify would be Andre Rivette who has openly stated that he will not run again. Just a thought. Bernadette is only looking to add to her resume and has done everything to cover up and nothing to correct the wrongs. (a lawyer indeed!) Glenn Grant is smart and well liked in the community but he has chosen to remain absolutely mum on the outstanding issues. Nothing would change with these two. All others are irrelevant.
Gotta agree with “Cliffy”, none of the above except for Andre, the rest of the mollusks (spineless) all sat back on their thumbs & did squat ! They allowed all of the deeds to go on & then kept silent ! It is my opinion, that we should join “THE BIG FLUSH MOVEMENT” & vote them all out ? They do not deserve our vote ? It is my understanding, that Andre is not running again, so why not give him the reins ? That way, no one person will have an advantage come election time ?
Heaven help us! I don’t want to see no lying lawyer aka “Bernie Boo Boo” running our distressed city!!!!
Andre Rivette or Mark McDonald are my 2 pics.
Yep Kilger resign and get your corrupt butt out of Cornwall for good!
I want to see the results of Kilger’s humunculous son’s written test.
Admin…I bet you’d change your tune if it had been Spahich that finished second.
Geez looking at this term do you really think that she’d have done worse than Bob?
Dalton McGuinty is a Fiberal. Bob Kilger is a Fiberal. Enough said! We certainly don’t need any Fiberal lawyers running the City either!
I believe stupidity crosses all partisan boundaries. You don’t have to be stupid to be Liberal or Conservative or NDP or Green. It helps but it is not a requirement.
Truly free thinking people are non-partisan.
Perhaps the most senior councillor would be up to the ‘fill in’
challenge.
It makes sense. ‘He’ has had a strong following for many years.
I voted for Andre as a populous vote, yet would acquiesce to Dennis if Andre relents.
Reasoning, by being popular, I believe Andre would have an easier time of ‘quelling the flames’ of disgruntled citizens more easily than Dennis.
Though Dennis can be quick to anger and sharp tongued he just happens to be as or perhaps more knowledgeable of city affairs and of a trusted one with in-depth budgeting requirements over the next few years.
I get a more ‘stalwart’ impression of him as a no nonsense nature than say that of an Elaine.
Then I would accept Mark McDonald as a councillor or NO added councillors over the balance of the current term. WHY would it be needed or necessary at all?
Frankly, I’m not so busy theses days that I couldn’t cover the duties of mayor… and for a lot less than bare-ass and his “gang buggering” colleagues are costing us.
And if honesty and saving money doesn’t motivate you, check out the next on the list for a council seat; more hot air than boo-boo… but out the other end.
Diddlyscwat, please, please tell everyone that you are not preferencing Denis Carr. That it was a joke. Sharp-tongued–it is more accurate to say condescending. More knowledgeable of city affairs–only gets angry or speaks up when it affects his buddies or he is indebted to others for anything as simple as a parking lot screw up. Trusted one for budget requirements–honestly, you couldn’t be any more off base. Review minutes of budget sessions over the years and then make your statements. You will most certainly change your view. And finally, to preserve your own integrity, please don’t ever use “stalwart” to describe Councillor Carr–ever. Maybe at one time, but most definitely not of late. Better than Elaine is not much of a compliment because everyone is better than Elaine. I respect opinions but it is so much more important if they are actually based on fact/history and not just on “I like the guy.” Anyone who protects through cover-up and goes along with destroying or discrediting innocent people, should never be worthy and complimentary adjectives.
I don’t know who is next on the council seat but I can say this is that it is all rigged to the hilt and that I don’t agree with any of this. I lean towards what Clifford said and like Jamie said the ward system is the better way to go. Get rid of this childish and overspending stupidity of electing 10 councellors for such a tiny town. Changes have to happen and I mean big changes.
Simon if I were you and you had the good intentions of running and be somebody good for Fossoli I would say to you go to it.
Bare Ass has lost his mind and has to go. When someone has a serious illness they should not be in responsible positions and should resign.
I see that Mike Duffy has resigned from the Senate seat – Conservative Harper’s cabinet. This man was in a conflict of interest with his housing issues and I think other things. If Bare Ass had any principals he would resign as well. Bare Ass is the worst mayor yet of all my 62 years on this earth he takes the cake for the worst boondoggle there is going.
Rivette seems to be the only one worthy enough he puts things in perspective from what I,ve been reading,he appears to put Cornwall ahead of all else & tells it like it is,defends himself against mayor,s B S,I hope he was the runner up cause nobody wants someone who they never voted for
I know André Rivette and his family personally since my kindergarden years and I am 62. That is really going back a mighty long way. André and his family have lived in Cornwall all their lives and they sure do care about Cornwall. The others that you see around that table including the mayor – especially the mayor – care only about their pocket book and are stealing from the public and they steal right in front of your eyes like picking your pockets and it is about time that the sheeple all see them for what they are. Jesus said “by their fruits yee shall know them”.
I would stand behind the runner up in the last election taking charge, however this would saddle that individual with a dysfunctional group of councilors and simply put the needs of Cornwall on hold until an election was held.
Leadership is about grabbing the reins and committing to a course of action based on the best information of the day and utilizing the available talent pool to the fullest extent possible.
This is a small community that needs to break a repetitive cycle of incompetence that has hindered its growth for a life time. Let democracy flourish and accept the resignations that should be tendered and hold an immediate election fast and furious while the situation or plight is fresh in the minds of the voters and the passion for change is high. Not a knee jerk reaction but rather a resolve to involve a true majority of voters. To be a model to other communities of the kind of spirit and turnout an election should elicit.
Close this chapter and write a new future and demand that the new mayor and council have vision and plan for all to see. A group that embraces accountability and transparency. A group that doesn’t wait to see the finish line to decide how to cross it.
David while I agree with most of what you said sadly we need the public to really get a grip on what’s truly going on at City Hall. We need management to also be held accountable for hushing up what these foppish $15K per year councilors have allowed to happen to our great city.
We need a top to bottom scouring and investigation. We need people like Maureen Adams to voice her own concerns and help lead the clean up at City Hall.
You need a good foundation if you want to build anything sustainable. We need City management to hold Mayor Kilger and those that covered up his hijinks to engage our lawyers to try and recoup the financial damage incurred and then we need to totally rethink how this city is run.
Find a gas station in the East End? Why build a $30M + arena on a toxic dump instead of two smaller facilities to serve the community; one in the East and one in the West sides of Cornwall.
Go back to the ward system and make councilors responsponsible to their people instead of just pimping a group who will wreak havoc with a $150M budget.
It will take public pressure to make this happen; but those who can make the change need to feel confident of public support for that change. Cornwall needs to break the Kilger clique; clean out the cancer who allowed it to happen and then find worthy people to help guide us through a healing and rebuilding phase before the corruption rubber stamps our waterfront redevelopment which is deep down at the core of what this is all about.
Sounds like a campaign speech Admin. What are your intentions?
Reg I didn’t run last election.
Then at the time of the next campaign to elect a new mayor and his court we need to ask of the candidates some serious questions and record their individual answers. Answers that we as a community hold them accountable for. I personally am tired of being fed sunshine, or worse, simply lied to. I want the plain truth, no sugar coating and a vision of the next 20 years and how we will achieve that vision. Is that unreasonable ?
Jamie this is a question that I have for you where is Mrs. Adams the one who looks after the books? I used to see her sitting in the council chambers and then I no longer saw her. It is like Kilger is hiding her in some closet so as not to talk. This woman used to come out with things in the budget but she is nowhere to be found. This is a question that I had in the back of my mind for some time now. Yes the ward system is the way to go and I said that many times over.
Jules I saw Ms Adams at the Civic Complex. She’s alive and looking quite well. I also saw her at the last council meeting in the same condition 🙂