What happens when you step away from the computer for a day? When it comes to issues at the Town… a whole lot apparently! This day has been a media (and social media) smörgåsbord with the CAO, Harry Schlange and the Councillors who rally behind him… as the main course.
While these posts occasionally feature *a* news article, we will look at one, two, three, four, five media snippets that have come out today… plus a petition!
Toronto Star: “Senior staff terminations ‘not justified,’ says Grimsby mayor”
In this piece published by the Toronto Star, Abby Green looks at the recent terminations at Town Hall with comments from Mayor Jordan. It was his opinion they were “unjustified” and recounts the praises of these staff from Council and the CAO. The CAO declined any comment.
You can read this article by clicking this link here.
NewsNow: “Town hall purge devastates Grimsby staff”
The first of three NewsNow pieces looks at recent terminations at the Town Hall, their relation to the third-party CAO investigation and an unusual motion of glowing praise brought forth and passed 5-4 at the Special Council Meeting of April 1, 2021.
“If you work for the Town of Grimsby, no matter who you are, your job is not safe. You could be the Pope and in charge of a daily prayer and you could be gone tomorrow.”
Anonymous TOWN STAFFER
You can read the full article at this link here.
NewsNow: “CAO moves create a “Now-toxic environment” – Former Mayor Bob Bentley“
While there are differing opinions of the tenure of former Mayor Bob Bentley, one cannot deny he has years of experience in assessing the performance of Town Staff and CAOs. In the article he reflects upon the hard-working Staff members who have been terminated and believes that further attrition at Town Hall is contemplated.
The article also notes that “many women have quit during (the) brief tenure” of the current CAO.
“Prior to the present term, people stayed at Grimsby because they were treated with respect and kindness. People stayed, even for far less compensation than they could receive elsewhere because the staff environment was so positive,”
FORMER DIRECTOR OF PLANNING, MICHAEL SEAMAN
You can read this article, at this link here.
NewsNow: “Local groundwork being set for “recall” law”
This article takes a look at the growing calls for a “recall” provision that would enable Members of Council to be removed from office, well before their terms are up.
Although the Minister of Municipal Affairs indicates that this option is “not being considered at this time”, it probably won’t be enough to throw a wet blanket on resident discontent and calls for such a recall provision for some Councillors.
You can read this article, by clicking this link here.
Niagara This Week: “Brampton has paid former chief administrative officer over $315K per year since departure in 2018”
While some Councillors have loathed the coverage of NewsNow, the other area weekly, Niagara This Week is also not showing “love” for Grimsby’s CAO.
The article provides some insight on the payments made to the Town’s CAO from the City of Brampton that triggered disclosure under the “Sunshine List” legislation.
“Questions sent to the city requesting details about Schlange’s appearance on the Sunshine List for the past two years since his departure, and how much longer and how much the city is still required to pay him, were not answered by the time of this article’s publication.”
GRAEME FRISQUE, BRAMPTON GUARDIAN
Local Resident Starts Petition: “Grimsby needs your help!”
One local resident concerned over the happenings at Town Hall has started a petition calling for Provincial intervention to look into matters.
While we hold no position on this petition, you can read it by clicking this link here and decide for yourself.