THE MAYOR HAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Unfortunately as of this moment, yesterday's Elmira Independent isn't on-line yet, thus I can't include a link to their front page story: "Township celebrates completion of roadwork". This story is the icing on the cake for two of my recent postings here, namely yesterday's "INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT - MY ASS" and January 11/12 "DEMOCRACY IS MESSY". Yesterday's Independent story starts with this sentence "Woolwich township took time on Friday to celebrate the completion of a trio of road reconstruction projects, made possible with funding from the upper tiers of government." This Independent article ends with the following "THANKS FROM MAYOR Woolwich mayor Todd Cowan thanked both the provincial and federal governments for the stimulus funds- and hinted at working in partnership again to address additional infrastructure needs. "We have over 20 roads and bridges that need to be upgraded or improved," Cowan said. "We have a number of projects that are shovel ready." "

One of our mayor's jobs is to solicit money from the higher tiers of government ie. provincial and federal to be spent here locally in Woolwich Township. Keep in mind this is our money as we are the taxpayers whether municipal, regional, provincial or federal. Although we would all like to think that provincial and federal money always flows to the municipalities with the most urgent needs that is by no means guaranteed. Just look at projects such as the Cambridge Hospital expansion and the long promised highway #7 expansion from Kitchener to Guelph. This same Mayor (Todd Cowan) has appointed himself as Chair of CPAC, the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee. This allegedly arms length, independent citizens committee has been strangled, delayed and frustrated by Mayor Cowan for the last year. They are an exemplary group of citizens whose efforts, despite the Mayor, have led to public breakthroughs regarding the need for Source Removal of contaminants both on and off the Chemtura property. They have exposed other sources of subsurface contamination in Elmira at the same time bringing to light the "recklessness" of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Simply put this citizens committee must be on a collision course with upper levels of government who have participated in a sweetheart deal with our local polluter. CPAC are out of duty and honesty attacking the falsehoods spread by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment that Elmira's groundwater is under control and will be restored by 2028. These important public duties are in direct conflict with the Mayor's duty to solicit and obtain funding from the province and feds. Mayor Cowan is in a gross conflict of interest position as long as he is Chair of CPAC. MAYOR COWAN PLEASE RESIGN IMMEDIATELY AS CPAC CHAIR. It's better for you and everyone and much more honest.