When asked what one issue compelled him to run for Wellington North council, Ross Chaulk said the answer is simple: “secret meetings.”
The Ward 3 candidate explained to over 200 people at the Arthur arena on Oct. 23 that closed meeting investigator Norm Gamble found the current council held four secret meetings in 2012 without following proper procedures under the Municipal Act.
The meetings were held to discuss senior staff and led to the termination of two department heads.
“I’m surprised that amongst all five councillors – four meetings happened – and yet not one of them realized it was a secret meeting,” said Chaulk. “For me, that’s what got me up to [run for election] again.”
Not surprisingly, fellow Ward 3 candidate Jens Dam said his main motivation to run was the township’s handling of changes to its development charges bylaw, which saw the township lose two Ontario Municipal Board hearings (initiated by Dam) and under-collect charges to the tune of $229,000.
“I’m standing here because I want an honest and open municipal council,” Dam told the crowd, adding the secret meetings in 2012 also spurred him on.
Incumbent Ward 3 candidate Mark Goetz did not address the secret meetings or the development charges bylaw.
He said he was running again for council because “four years is a pretty short time when there’s big projects in the works.”
Goetz listed the Arthur wastewater treatment plant and the amalgamation of the township’s fire departments as projects he would like to see to completion.
