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MINUTES - Council - 19750106tr''"·, ~· j' ' \ / -~~.~/ l (""' ' I , ~~".J MINUTES OF THE INAUGURAL l'lEETING OF THE '1975 COUNCIL HELD IN TIIE DR. G. W. \HLLIAMS SECONDARY SCHOOL, ON MONDAY, JANUARY 6th. '1975. The meeting was called tb order by the playing of 0 CANADA by the York Brass Quintet. Clerk Administrator K. B. Rodger administered the Declaration of Office to Mayor-Elect Evelyn Buck, and to the following Councillors-Elect; Councillor-Elect W. Davis, Councillor-Elect H. Jackson, Councillor- Elect P. Miller, Councillor-Elect B. Roth, Councillor-Elect R. Simmons, Councillor-Elect N. Stewart, Councillor-Elect G. Timpson, Councillor-Elect J. Williamson. All members of Council having taken their Declaration of Office and having subscribed to the Oath of Alligance to the Queen, the '1975-76 Council was duly constituted. Rev. Homer McAvoy lead all present in the Prayer of Dedication. The '1975 Council Ro1l Call by K. B. Rodger; Mayor Evelyn Buck, Councillor vJ. Davis, Councillor H. Jackson, Councillor P. Miller, Councillor B. Roth, Councillor R. Simmons, Councillor N. Stewart, Councillor G. Timpson, Councillor J. Williamson. Mayor E. Buck gave hero Inaugural Address. Introduction c:£ Guest Speaker by Councillor vJ. Davis. Guest Speaker Richard A. Illingworth. ./.1 i 0 INAUGURAL MEETING - 2 - INAUGURAL AURORA COUNCIL 6 JANUARY 1975 By Dick Illingworth JANUARY 6th" 1975 The years since i,Jorld War 11 have seen rapid and profound change throughout Canada and the Countries of the Free World. The Economic and Social problems have changed materially in this period. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the great Urban Areas, and those areas adjacent to an Urban area. Our Cities have attracted millions of new residents, and as we know, new homes and businesses have spJ?ead over thousands of acres of virgin countryside. The abilities of many of our local governments to provide services to their citizens in the face of these population and technological explosions have been strained to the breaking point. Officials at all levels of Government, and citizens, have been challenged to provide new mechanisms and processes by means of vvhich these economic and demographic changes may be accommodated with as little stress as possible on our political and governmental systems. T0WD and City living has improved in so many ways over the past few decades, but it has begun to lose something too - a sense of Community. Our Ancestors lived in a tightly-knit, well-defined community with a true feeling of neighbourhood. The political st=ture was simple, pepple carried on business with friends and neigh -bours; ideas and information were exchanged directly. There was a perscinal touch to almost everything. Let's take a look at the 1952 Inaugural. Aurora had a poplation of only 3,454 yet it was beginning to feel the postwar surge that 1<Vas Canada's; Just how rapj .. 0:rY History can catch up with itself is shown by one of the maj6rissues of that year. At that first meeting of Council- only 23 years ago - a by-law was rescinded which would have placed all future Yonge Street commercial buildings a full 55 feet from the centre line of the road" This was supported by many people including the Board of Trade. Yet, just a few years ago, when r,re werE r ' '", ~ \ ·I I . r·'"-'\ l_ i INAUGURAL MEETING -3 -JANUARY 6th. /1975 reconstructing and widening Yonge Street, we heard people say, ''If only the buildings had been built further back on J5onge Street ••• ' This is not to say that anyone was wrong back in 1952. It is simply to remind us that times change, and sometimes very rapidly. The rivalry between Aurora and Newmarket was very much alive 23 years ago, and considerable discussion took place when the Provincial Police Headquarters was moved from Aurora to Newmarket. Later the OPP moved to Vandorf-but who cares now -they are gone. It reminds me of a discussion not so long ago about the location of a Police Headquarters in Newmarket. Who says history doesn't repeat itself? Doctor Crawford Rose, who was starting his Term of Office as l"layor said, "Council is collectively responsible for its actions. Teamj,rork is the thing that counts." His words are just as true today as when he spoke 23 years ago. Councillor Davis will recall our first Inaugural in /1965 -just /10 years ago. It was held in the Council Chamber and present -vmre the wives ofthe l"lembers of Council, Representatives of' the l"linisterial Association, Fo=er l"layors, representatives of Service Organizations and other guests. The program was simple; God Save the Queen, Prayer of Dedication, Oath of Office and the l"layor's Inaugural Address. It was the first of the two-year te=. A PlebisCite was held in /1959 and the two year term was defeated, but a two year council vms in office for the years '1958-59. At the '1964 Election, a vote-weary electorate (Provincial, Federal, l"lunicipal and Liquor Vote) voted to try the Two-Year Term again. In his Inaugural Address for /1965, l"layor Clarence Davis, who j,Jas first elected in Dr. Rose's Council of '1952, stressed that Aurora could no longer be considered a small town and that within the foreseeable future the Town would have '15,900 citizens and with the growth would come more complex problems. The tax levy in 1957 was $200, 000 and in /1964 had grown to $'1 , 100, 000 • INAUGURAL MEETING -4 -JANUARY 6th. '1975 Just eight years ago, a major change was made in the format of the Inaugural ceremonies. At the request of the Town's Centennial Committee, the Council 1.ras asked to arrange the ceremonies to open the Town 1 s Observance of Canada's 'I OOth Birthday. Councillors Cliff Corbett, Bill Trent and Walt Davis were appointed to prepare for a Cen-t;ennial Year Inaugural l"'eeting of the '1967 Council It was held in this very room. and according to the Press, the event attracted more than '1,000 with perhaps 200 of that nu~ber being school children. Dr. Rose was the l"'aster of Ceremonies. A '15 minute sketch by members of the Aurora Drama Workshop depicted a Council l"'eeting in '1867, based on the l"'inutes of l"'eetings held 108 years ago. Things haven't changed much and as someone once said, "The more she is different, the more she is the same." The Reverend Roland Hill, who spent his boyhood days in Aurora returned as the Guest Speaker. He stressed that a sense of loyalty was needed and stated that "It is our privilege to help build the second part of this nation." Just six years ago, on January 6th, I had the honour to become Aurora's 21st. l"'ayor in Aurora's history as a Town. Some of us may remember that evening, especially Clerk-Administrator Bud Rodger. Because of a very heavy mow-storm which kept many of the guestl away, Bud had to preside as l"'aster of Ceremonies, a<l~inister the Oaths and install the new members. The Guest Speaker was Deputy Reeve Fred Cook of Bradford. In 1971 and '1973 the Inaugurals were held in the Community Centre and it has been encouraging to the l"'ayor and l"'embers of Council to see so many interested citizens, attend the Inaugural Ceremony. There is something abo.ut an Inaugural Ceremony that is like New Year's Eve. It is a time for reflection and it is a time to look to the future. There is talk about changing the date of the l"'unicipal Elections and if we do, the date of the Inaugural "'rill have to be changed -somehow it wouldn't be quite the same to have the Inaugural in l"'id-Summer. Then it could mean a change in the Fiscal Year, a change in the time for the preparation of the Budget. The only thing that wouldn 1 t change is the Tax Bill. l,_ INAUGURAL MEETING -5 -JANUARY 6th. 1975 As we look at the list of former Mayors and Reeves,dating back to 1863, I can't but think of the words of Harry Truman, in his book "Plain Speaking" when on his retirement from the office of President he said: "Everything, all of it belongs to the people. I was just privileged to use it for a while, That's all. And since it was only lent to me, and by that I'm including the power of the President, such as it is, I had to try to use whatever it ;;-as 1•1ith great care so that I could pass it on to the next fella in the best condition possible. I hope that I was just half as successful as Harry Truman. Why do people run for public office? I suppose that question has been asked more than any.other. For the amount of time spent by any conscientious office holder. It is the worst-paying job in the world. They very seldom ever receive cormnendation for work well done, but plenty of criticism for 1-Jhat was left undone. I recall reading an Editorial about ten years ago which had been reprinted in the Banner fr:= the Stayner Sun. It w.ant on to state that most people start in Public Office for one of two reasons. Either they have an axe to grind or they feel they owe something to the Community. Those with the axe to grind usually end up quickly discovering that the axe was quite dull to start with, and that many of the problems are out of the full contni of local Councils. Those who feel they are doing their duty to their cormnunity usually start with the idea of serving a couple of terms and then getting out. But there must be something habit fo=ing about holding public office, and there doesn't seem to be any pattern of behavioun. As I have often said before, 11 You don't have to be crazy, but it helps.11 vJe should be thankful that there are a few h'ho are willing to do the work and keep the municipality operating on behalf of the nest of us. As the time and the penalties of public office increases, it continues to be a source of amazement that communities are able to provide men and vmmen to accept positions that usually caJ:ry bitter rewards. The Mayor is.usually the butt of every carping tongue, and his or her phone rings into the small hours with complaints. It is seldom that· you hear "Well done" during the term of office. \ /--~-· i ! lJ INAUGURAL MEETING - 6 -JANUARY 6th. 1975 Until there is a garbage strike, the water supply fails or the sno"l'rplow skips our street, many of us tend to take for granted the service ana. the many functions and facilities provided by our Municipal Government. The Federal Government could cease to function for some days and the majority of the taxpayers might not even notice. You might say the same of the Provincial Administration, but I won't say it. But, let the Municipal Government delay in the clearing of a blocked sewer or fail to provide enoug_FJ. baseball diamonds and there is immediate and almost total citizen involvement. It is not enough that we vote on election day and then go home and forget it. Democracy needs to be lived by every citizen so as to create the moral and spiritual atmosphere in which all levels of government must operate. Quite often, elected representatives have to be assisted, inspired and sometimes even prodded, by public opinion, if they are to provide the conditions and facilities in which all citizens can enjoy a full life. To carry out these duties, citizens obviously must active, well informed and ready to work together. not for spectators, it demands participation. be interesteo., Democracy is You and I, as voters and shareholders in this community have a right to make our voice heard -not only a right but a responsibility. But just because we have that right, it does not mean that our elected representatives must accept our opinion in the decision- making process. They are 'JUr representatives, not our delegates. In our system of Democracy -and 1-rhile it has its faults, but no one has found a better one -\'fith a vote every two years, it is right that an elected official can feel free to consider the views of his or her constituents, but still feel free to vote as his personal feelings dictate, knowing that he must face the voters at the next election. The citizens always have the tfinal say if they are concerned. During the two years ahead, your Council will be faced with the day-to-day problems having to do with taxes, housing, recreation, physical and social planning and the on-going struggle over the division of powers and financial resources with the other. levels of government. I \__,j INAUGURAL JVJEETING - 7 -JANUARY 6th. '1975 But, in addition as your mayor said, they will have to face the control of growth, and a method of setting municipal spending priorities. There just isn't enough money to provide all the services and the ~acilities that we as taxpayers demand. There is a need to thin~ of the people more than the staple, hard services such as roads, water and sewers. It is not an easy task to attempt to balance all the many demands for services and facilities with the tax dollars that are available. Two years ago, at the Inaugu.ral, I said; "Your Council can only respond to your wishes, comments and suggestions if we know about them and know about them in time." Then I spoke as an elected official -tonight I speak as a citizen, but one that has some knowledge of the problems, trials and tribulations of your elected Council. They are entitled to our support, our appreciation, our encouragement and if necessary, our constructive criticism. During our Nation's Centennial Year, one of our outstanding citizens Col. Fred Tilston V.C. wrote: "The good citizen is the woman or man who thinks in terms of what she or he had to put into the pot, not how much can be taken out. Given that guideline, there is not a moment's doubt in my mind about our contry's future. Let the doubters doubt. Let them see frustrations and disasters in all the things abuut which we debate. Let us think about the work for the Canada that our country's founders envisaged a hundred years ago." That is why my topic has been "0 Canada -Canada, Glorious and Free." Let us keep it that way. Wonderful wishes by a wonderful man. I'll try and do my part, will you? Appreciation of speaker by Councillor N. Stewart. The York Brass Quintet .Played a musical selection. /-"·'·'>. u INAUGURAL MEETING - 8 -JANUARY 6th. '1975 Captain McKay, Commanding Officer of the Aurora Squadron, Queens York Rangers was introduced and he had the Aurora Bugle played, and~de a presentation of the Freedom Plaque to Mayor Buck to hold in trust, and to return to the Queens York Rangers Armories on a later occasion. God Save the Queen, played by the York Brass Quintet. ~y~(Ll