Vaughan council candidates say campaign policy favours incumbents

Yorkregion.com
September 4, 2018
Tim Kelly

Several candidates running for municipal office in Vaughan have wondered if incumbents have a built-in advantage when they can attend “official’ city events right up to election day on city property.

Richard Lorello, who is running for regional council, and Simone Barbieri, a candidate for Ward 2, have both questioned a City of Vaughan municipal elections policy that bans all municipal candidates from doing any campaigning on City-owned property right up until election day.

Neither candidate seems to have a particular problem with the policy, as long as it applies to every candidate, including all incumbents.

The policy, which was sent out to every candidate running for office on Aug. 17 by Vaughan Elections Clerk Todd Coles, explicitly states: “candidates for election are not permitted to conduct campaign activities (including distributing campaign materials) at city facilities, including City Hall, Community Centres and parks. This also includes campaigning at City events on or off City property, and Older Adult Clubs governed by the City’s Older Adult Clubs Policy. Older Adult Clubs may host candidate events (such as debates or meet and greets) but they must be conducted outside of a City facility or property. Additionally, in accordance with the City’s Permitting of City Facilities by Members of Council and Registered Candidates Policy, no City-owned facility or space may be permitted to municipal candidates for election related purposes.”

Controversial former Vaughan mayor Linda Jackson seeking council seat
What has Lorello and Barbieri especially perturbed was that a few days before the email went out, on Aug. 12, an Independence India Day event was held at Vaughan City Hall.

It featured a flag-raising to honour the date on which India gained independence in 1947 and featured Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Ward 3 Coun. Rosanna DeFrancesa and regional councillors Gino Rosati and Sunder Singh prominently in attendance. All four are running for re-election.

City staff were asked if it was appropriate for the quartet to be at the event. City staff said it was OK.

“The India Independence Day event was an event approved by council. Members of council are able to attend the event in their capacity as council members. Candidates for election are not permitted to conduct campaign activities at city facilities including City Hall, community centres and parks. This includes campaigning at City events on or off City property,” said a staff member who spoke on behalf of the City of Vaughan.

She reiterated that Vaughan council members could attend official city-sanctioned events on City property up to inauguration day.

Lorello said while he does acknowledge that members of council were able to attend the India Independence Day flag-raising event … “in their capacity as council members, although we are not all naïve enough to believe it was not used as an indirect way for members of council to promote their own election campaigns using city resources.”

He added that he was disappointed the flag-raising event was not posted on the city’s website page and online page so that “the event could have been better attended, more inclusive of the public and much more respectful of the Indian community.”

He added that “I have yet to hear from the City why this event was treated differently and what steps will be taken so that all cultural events are handled in the same way going forward.”