MORE EMBARASSING OMBUDSMAN INVESTIGATIONS OF WOOLWICH COUNCIL

Many of us knew that the long proposed expansion of the Ontario Ombudsman's mandate to cover parts of the MUSH sector was lomg overdue. MUSH of course stands for Municipalities, Universities, Schools and Hospitals. Lord knows that three of those sectors namely Schools (school boards), Municipalities and Hospitals were anywhere from problematic to snake pits. It was actually a Cambridge friend and colleague who convinced me that the Ontario Ombudsman was the real deal hence I tried them last year and they certainly rapped Woolwich's knuckles appropriately for their contraventions of the Municipal Act regarding in camera meetings.

Well I'm back and they are investigating further allegations of Woolwich Township misbehaviour. Issues include more improper behaviour regarding in camera meetings, threatening and harassing behaviour by senior staff and orchestrated political attacks upon volunteers by Council members. Some members of this Council apparently believe that being elected means that they get to write the rules, change the rules, ignore the rules and generally carry on as if they were kings and queens of olden days.

These allegations not only include myself being on the receiving end but also many others. By the time this term of council is finished all Woolwich citizens and would-be candidates to council will have a much better idea as to what is ethical, legal and proper behaviour both for council members as well as for senior Woolwich staff. This is long overdue in Dogpatch.