The show will go on for Music Aurora, without funding from town

Discussion about funding Music Aurora turned into a conflict-of-interest debate with Coun. John Abel at the centre.

Yorkregion.com
April 12, 2017
By Amanda Persico

Music Aurora is moving forward with the new Aurora Summer Music Festival without support from the town.

Music Aurora president Jamie MacDonald presented plans for the Aug. 5 Aurora Summer Music Festival under the Canada 150 banner.

Music Aurora, a not-for-profit musical festival venture, submitted a request asking for the town to sponsor the event to the tune of $16,000, which was voted down.

But the discussion soon turned into a conflict-of-interest debate among Aurora councillors.

“I was blindsided,” MacDonald said of the debate that occurred after his presentation.

“Music Aurora is about community celebration. That was lost on council.”

Music Aurora officially withdrew its sponsorship request to the town.

“We don’t want to be entangled in this,” said MacDonald. “We will find funding elsewhere.”

The request also asked the town to waive the park rental and permit fee, amounting to $599 plus a $1,000 damage fee.

Several councillors expressed concern about the fairness of giving one group funding over another group.

But the fact Coun. John Abel is director for Music Aurora left a sour note with some councillors.

“It’s inappropriate” for a councillor to use his position on council to leverage funding, said Coun. Paul Pirri.

Pirri also pushed for a detailed list of financials if funding was approved.

“It’s only fair to know where the money is going and how the money is spent as a whole,” he said.

Abel did not recuse himself from the debate.

“I’m not going to apologize for sitting on the board of community events,” Abel said during the meeting. “I have a passion for music. I have a passion for the community.”

Abel also sits on the board for the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame and the Aurora Seniors Centre, both of which request funding from the town.

“I hope that’s not a reason to not fund the requests,” he said.

But sitting on a board as a councillor is different than sitting on board as a private resident, Pirri said.

“This is a gross conflict of interest,” he said.

According to the town’s procedural bylaws, it’s up to a councillor to declare a pecuniary interest on a particular subject and that councillor should leave the room.

“It’s a grey area,” said Coun. Michael Thompson. “The debate should have been about the event. In my opinion, it’s a conflict of interest. He should have stepped away from the table.”

But sitting on a board is not a conflict of interest, Abel contended.

“There needs to be a simple and clear presentation of a conflict,” he said. “Are you being paid? I’m not a private enterprise. I’m a volunteer.”

Thompson alluded that as a board member, there could be financial gain or loss associated with the summer music festival.

While Abel does perform with a country-rock band, Willin’ and Abel, he says he does not charge for his time and pays his bandmates “out of pocket.”

For more information about Music Aurora, visit musicaurora.ca