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Volume 72, Number 44 GST Included $1.25 Wednesday November 18, 2009 Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 Agreement No. 40012366 Orono Town Hall Serving Kendal, Kirby, Leskard, Newcastle, Newtonville, Orono, Starkville and Tyrone since 1937 Auditor confirms Mutton campaign flaws The group of residents who requested an audit, of former Mayor John Mutton's 2006 election campaign expenses finally feel vindicated. "We nailed him," Luke Prout told the Orono Times on Tuesday after reviewing the auditor's report. Bernard Nayman, the accountant hired by the municipality to conduct a compliance audit on Mutton's campaign expenses, presented his findings to the municipality and the group of residents who requested the audit, on Tuesday morning. Nayman found a list of 34 items in the expense report Mutton filed following his failed 2006 Mayoralty campaign that contravened the Municipal Elections Act. Among the infractions listed by Nayman was $4,700 in unreported sign expenses, $4,500 worth of campaign contributions from individuals that exceeded the $750 limit and $2,250 from ineligible contributors. Nayman determined that of the 45 Mayor's Corner articles printed in a municipal ad during the 2006 election campaign period, 10 were of a political nature and promoted the candidate. The cost of advertising for the 10 articles, estimated to be $2,567, was not reported in Mutton's expense report. Nayman also estimated the cost of Mutton's use of municipal infrastructures MUTTON see page 3 Kerry Dobbs and her four-year-old son Nicholas place their poppies on one of the wreaths at the Orono Cenotaph Sunday during the Remembrance Day Service. Santa Claus to tighten his belt Clarington council is undecided on whether to invoice organizers of this weekend's Bowmanville and Newcastle Santa Claus parades for road closures. At the Special Council meeting held on August 31st dealing with Clarington's $3.1 million municipal budget shortfall, council approved the elimination of staff overtime to facilitate community events. Each time staff are required to close roads on weekends for community events, it costs the municipality approximately $1,000 in overtime, according to Frank Wu, Clarington's Chief Administrative Officer. The projected savings from the elimination of staff overtime hours on the 2009 budget was $5,000. Councillors were faced with a letter from the Bowmanville Santa Claus Parade Committee at the Monday, November 9th council meeting. In the letter, the Committee stated it was unprepared to pay the invoice for municipal services as there was no advance warning of the policy. It requested deferral of the charges until 2010. Another item of correspondence on Monday's council meeting agenda came from the Newcastle Business Improvement Association (BIA). That group was requesting that council reconsider its decision to charge the BIA for road closures and garbage pick-up for special events. "Without exemption from these charges," the letter stated, "the BIA feels they will be forced to reconsider the viability of holding special events." The BIA was charged $700 in municipal fees to hold the Newcastle Fall Festival on October 10th. Organizers of the Newcastle Santa Claus Parade wrote a letter to council in September requesting the fee of $1,250 for their 2009 parade be waived due to the late notice and the fact that there was no money in their $6,000 budget for the unexpected expense. Council did nothing with that request. Councillor Willie Woo put forward a motion at Monday's meeting to waive the fees for the three remaining community events in 2009 which will require street closure, the Bowmanville and Newcastle Santa Claus Parades, and the Bowmanville BIA's Midnight Madness event. These events are family events which draw people together, according to Woo. "When you see the smiles on kids' faces when Santa comes by, it is well worth whatever monies we are waiving," Woo stated. "This has nothing to do with Santa," said Councillor Gord Robinson. "This has to do with the economic conditions." According to Robinson, he PARADE see page 10 What's Inside See page 9