“I am definitely the black sheep in the bunch,” says Gallo on Council decisions

August 28, 2020 · 0 Comments

Councillor John Gallo says he sometimes feels like “the black sheep in the bunch” when it comes to Council’s decisions. It is not something he necessarily wants to hang his hat on – indeed, he says he is “disappointed” that this is the reality he sees, but, “I just don’t know how else to do it.”

Speaking to The Auroran ahead of Council’s decision this week on tendering out the redevelopment of Library Square, he said “Some of the things are just so shocking that it is beyond me.”

“Some things just don’t sit well with me and I can’t get over that,” he says. “There is more happening that I am not in the loop, or at least that must be happening that I am not in the loop for some of the Council members to make the decisions they make, and I just can’t explain it any other way. They just don’t make sense to me.”

Among the decisions that fall into this category, he says, are both Library Square and Council’s $7.5 million purchase of buildings just north of the Aurora Public Library as part of that greater Library Square vision.

“I am not sure to what extent the general public is [aware] of what we’re actually doing and that has always been my issue,” says Councillor Gallo. “Our connection to the residents has been extremely poor and it is clear I have a different perspective on how Council should conduct business than some others.”

In recent weeks, Councillor Gallo has made his position on Library Square clear. From his perspective, it is time to hit “pause” on the project due to financial uncertainty stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re in an unprecedented time and I think some of my colleagues, unfortunately, have their heads in the sand,” he says of the Town’s finances, an issue he cites as one area he will be particularly focused on once Council resumes regular meetings next month. “I don’t think they realize the impact this global pandemic is going to have on our finances. To me, that is a huge concern and I am trying my best to convince them, particularly the two major issues – to really reflect on it and better understand whether it is the right time or not.

“To me, there are significant issues that really haven’t been planned out to the degree they should. At least as a sitting councillor, I am unsure [of] the impact of spending all that money [will have] on our reserves. Our financial position relies on the income from that, which goes towards some operating through reserves. We have to make that all up. There are a lot of question marks there.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown up “a lot of question marks” across the board, not the least of which is Council’s ability to convene and engage residents, he contends.

Meeting remotely on Zoom since April, Councillor Gallo says he has “felt a bit of a disconnect with the public” in not having that in-person engagement and has looked for ways to remedy that situation. Looking at a few different options, he has increasingly focused on engagement through a series of YouTube videos re-capping that week’s Council or General Committee meeting and the decisions that had been made, as well as through social media channels.

“I figured I could make a connection with residents in that way, but I am still trying to figure out how to get a two-way conversation going,” he says, but he notes there are certain things about the Zoom meetings he has come to like. “[Outside of Council chambers in this setting] you can actually see people’s faces and reactions to different things. I find value to get a sense of where that Council member is or where a staff member is, seeing them face to face. I didn’t expect to have that.”

Despite Council not being able to host meetings in chambers for most of the first half of 2020, Councillor Gallo says he is proud of some of the achievements that have been made.

An active member of the Town’s Arts and Culture Roundtable, a group brought together to discuss the impacts COVID-19 might have on that particular sector, he says there was a “great exchange of information and a great depth of knowledge” that was shared around the table, and the initiatives stemming from the group “demonstrated how wonderful a community we have” and how knowledge and talent can be tapped.

As Council shifted focus to COVID-19, Councillor Gallo says some initiatives he was looking to bring forward had to be pushed to the backburner, but come this fall, these will be in focus.

Among them is a motion to allow schools to use municipally-owned parks during the school year, something that is not presently allowed.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me,” he says. “They are all taxpayers. Short of maybe some liability issues and teachers crossing over to public property and having kids there, I am sure we can overcome those and there is no reason why kids couldn’t use Town parks during school hours.”

He also plans on continuing to work with Town staff and Metrolinx on pedestrian railway crossings, building on a motion he successfully presented to Council earlier this year.

“One of the things I asked for was a status report on where we are,” he says. “I think September or October is where they will be putting a report to Council.”

But, in the months ahead, putting a sharp focus on the Town’s finances and continuing to build connections with the public, will be a primary effort.

“Personally, I feel I am connecting more with the residents and they’re hopefully listening to what I have to say,” he says. “I hope that even though I realize I brought some negative energy to the Council table, I really didn’t know how else to do it for them to perk up and listen. I am not suggesting I know it all, but I have some experience and I hopefully have a pretty good sense of making good decisions. I have connected with residents [and] hopefully turned a negative into a positive.

“I am just going to continue what I am doing. I really hope I am effective. I want to get back to work and do some good things for the Town, but there are some struggles before we get there.”

By Brock Weir