Citizens’ group AWARE

By Douglas Glynn Midland Free Press July 14 2010
A grass roots organization -spawned by the 2009 battle against dump Site 41 -is mobilizing people across Simcoe County in an effort to challenge the political status quo, especially the 32 mayors and deputy mayors seeking re-election Oct. 25.
AWARE Simcoe (Action Watch Affecting Residents Everywhere) describes itself as “a non-partisan citizens’ group” working for transparency and accountability in government and to protect water, the environment and health.
“The whole thrust of this organization is accountability and transparency at all levels of government, especially at the county level,” Letty McNeil, one of AWARE’s founders, said in an interview.
“We have a group of 32 people who sit on County Council -none of them is directly elected to that office by the citizens of Simcoe County. They become county councillors by default. And because of the process, they are not directly accountable to the people for how they spend more than a half billion of our tax dollars annually, nor for the decisions they make.
“While some of them may be doing a good job, we are finding voters across the county who think it’s time to elect politicians we can hold to account for their actions locally and at county council; people who, once elected, will be accountable and transparent.
“AWARE is organizing groups in every municipality of the county that it hopes will help to elect candidates,” McNeil said.
“We need candidates who are willing to make policy decisions and provide direction, not just become rubber stamps for administrators. We will be looking over the shoulder of everyone elected to keep them accountable throughout their term of office.”
The organization has already held meetings in Barrie, Bradford and Utopia. On Saturday it attracted about 75 people to a meeting at the Royal Canadian Legion in this North Simcoe community. It is planning a meeting in Coldwater on July 24 and one in Collingwood in August.
Some of the policy objectives AWARE would like to see adopted by the county include:
* Ending the over-use of in-camera meetings;
* Having open sessions at the end county council and committee meetings to allow the public to ask questions or make statements;
* Having minutes of meetings reflect the actual discussion;
* Videotaping principal committee meetings for posting on the internet;
* Creation of a lobbyists’ code of conduct and enforcement mechanisms, including prohibiting lobbying by former councillors for four years after they leave council; and,
* Whistleblower protection for the staff of Simcoe County and local municipalities.
For information about AWARE call 705-812-0643.