IS FORMER COUNCILLOR BAUMAN THE LAST TO GO?

Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record carried this Editorial titled "Counc. Bauman must step down". The Record Editorial states "The law and the public interest demand nothing less because he failed to file an expense report for last year's municipal election.". In fact he failed to do so apparently for four of his last five elections. Hardly a single small oversight there.

Of interest are the past cases in which removed candidates have gone to the courts and been reinstated by them. I would find it a little surprising if a judge were to reinstate Mark Bauman to his councillor's position after he has refused to step down for failing to file his expense report. This failure is also shared by Woolwich Township. Their heartwarming but inappropriate defence of Mark could actually do him more harm than good. That may be typical of many of their actions ie. ill conceived and counterproductive.

The Record Editorial speaks to this broader concern with Woolwich Township governance. Quoting the Record "Something's amiss in Woolwich these days.". Referring to ongoing councillor issues being examined by an Auditor and former Mayor Todd Cowan's criminal charges the Record states "Whether this is all coincidental or reflects a lax, careless culture matters little. It has to stop."

Then of course we have the province of Ontario. I wonder exactly how impressed they must be with Woolwich thumbing their noses at their legislation? Can the province step in and recommend removal of certain senior staff? Have they done that before at the municipal level? And finally are all the remaining councillors safe in their positions? There are 32 or 33 days left on the 90 day deadline for citizens to knock on the Municipal Clerk's door regarding election expense failures. Tick tock.