Sadly, we are becoming increasingly accustomed to the games that this administration (and some councillors) insist on playing at the expense of proper governance and adherence to council’s own policies. The latest example involves public questions that have been ‘taken on notice’. A few facts first.

Council’s Local Law states that questions may be taken on notice and that responses “shall be given within a reasonable time (usually in less than ten working days).” Most people would assume that this means more than simply a letter of response to the questioner. Then there is also this: “Where an answer is given later in writing, the question shall be resubmitted to the meeting at which the answer is available and both the question and the answer shall be recorded in the minutes of that meeting.”

At the May 17th Council meeting a series of questions from Mr. Varvodic was taken on notice. Since then we have had another council meeting and no response to these questions has been forthcoming. If included in the next council meeting minutes, that will make it 6 weeks for a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to the vast majority of these questions.

Readers will remember that the issue of ‘vexatious questions’ has previously come up under Lipshutz’s role on the Local Laws Committee. We simply ask:

  • Is the tardy non answering and non publication of answers merely a de facto introduction of this ‘policy’ since it would appear to achieve the same outcome?
  • Why should it take at least 3 council meetings to publish responses?
  • Is this a tactic that will now be continually employed whenever ‘uncomfortable’ public questions are asked by ratepayers?
  • Surely the combined intellectual powers of Newton, Burke, Lipshutz and Hyams can do better than this silly stalling game?