Chapman request pushes open door to audit comments
November 2, 2005

It looks like citizens will get an opportunity to speak to council about the auditor's report on Mayor Di Ianni's campaign finances. The change came this morning as a result of a formal request from Dundas bookseller Joanna Chapman, the businesswoman who originally sought the compliance audit.

Joanna Chapman.

Earlier this week Chapman sent a letter to the city clerk requesting to speak and noting: "You confirmed that I would not be permitted to speak to Council and suggested the appropriate committee to speak to would be the Corporate Administration Committee."

When her request to speak came before that committee this morning, Chad Collins pushed through a motion to refer the request to a committee of the whole (COW) meeting next week. " Today we have four council members here," Collins noted. "I think it would be more appropriate to make that referral." COW meetings are attended by all councillors.

The city clerk countered that the plan was to deal with the report at next Wednesday's council meeting in Glanbrook. Collins persisted the issue should be considered first at a COW meeting. "It's kind of awkward - a report goes straight to Council," argued Collins, "so my recommendation would be that we entertain the delegation at COW."

The clerk responded that the auditor's report has to be examined by council within 30 days of council receiving it. "I don't have any COW meetings scheduled between now and next Wednesday," he said. But Collins pointed out that there is a COW meeting set for Monday afternoon to hear citizen comments on Maple Leaf, and Maria Pearson noted a second COW meeting is set for Wednesday morning, so Collins motion was accepted.

This appears to be what Chapman was seeking in her letter where she stated: "I believe it is important to allow full and open discussion of this issue, and thus would also request that a Committee of the Whole meeting be held prior to the Council meeting of November 9th".

A notice issued later in the day by the clerk's office says the requests to speak from Chapman and another citizen will be decided on at the Monday meeting, and if approved they will then be allowed to address the Wednesday morning COW scheduled to start at 9:30 am. Given that timing, other citizens who wish to speak about the audit should contact the city clerk (clerk@hamilton.ca) with their request by noon Friday.

A transcript of this morning's committee meeting is on the CATCH website at http://www.hamiltoncatch.org/corporate/corp_051102.htm.

The auditor's report is also on the site at http://hamiltoncatch.org/pdfs/FroeseReport-DiIanni.pdf .