Davis calls for public accounting of Town's lawsuit against citizen

Halton Hills has spent $25,000 in defending its reputation. An accounting of a lawsuit that the Town initiated against a citizen was presented in a report to council recently. Ward 3 Councillor Mike Davis requested its preparation. In 2005, the Town of Halton Hills launched a defamation lawsuit against Acton citizen Al Kerouac, who operates a website that purports to be a news organization. An "article" on the site referred to Director of Recreation and Parks Terry Alyman as a "corrupt" civil servant. The Town also initiated a suit on behalf of Alyman

as well. Earlier this year, a judge ruled that no government may bring an action of defamation against an individual and the Town was ordered to pay $5,000 in costs to Kerouac. The Town's law firm, Helson, Kogon, Ashbee, Schaljo & Associates' legal bill is $20,000 and the lawsuit on-going. Davis said it was important to get the costs involved into the public record, and requested that another report come to council once the second legal action is completed.