Hiring freeze proposal gets chilly reception from Aurora council

YorkRegion.com
Sept. 3, 2015
By Teresa Latchford

Council did not support a second call, in as many weeks, for a hiring freeze.

Councillor Tom Mrakas suggested the town initiate a one-year hiring cap for the 2016 fiscal year, but his proposal died in a tie vote.

“I was very disappointed the motion didn’t receive support,” Mrakas said. “We are in a time of transition and we should hold the bottom line and the tax rate for one year until the new CAO can see the big picture.”

Salaries and benefits totalling $21.4 million account for 38 per cent of the gross operating budget and hiring more staff would increase that bottom line.

Currently, the town employs 211 full-time staff members, 271 part-time, seven seasonal and 25 students.

Mrakas’ proposal stated any replacement of existing vacancies, excluding that of the CAO, be subject to review by council during the freeze and that it would not apply to positions mandated by legislation and seasonal positions.

The proposal was turned down in a tie vote.

He believed so strongly in a hiring freeze that he asked for reconsideration of his motion and a second vote, since one councillor was absent. The Municipal Act allows a tie vote to be considered a second time when a member is absent.

The second vote, however, produced the same results; a tie, which meant the motion was defeated.

However, not all was lost as council did support a recommendation from interim CAO Patrick Moyle to create a new vacancy control program. Moyle told council having strict rules in place before filling a vacancy has worked well in other municipalities and could do the same in Aurora.

“This program would help (managers) resist the urge to fill positions immediately,” Moyle said. “Stop, pause and think about it and, if after a review, there is no other way to fulfill the service, then fill the position.”

He confirmed legislated positions, such as the position of town clerk, would be a consideration of council as well as director positions, but all other positions would be reported in a bi-annual report.

For more information, visit aurora.ca

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