Opinion: So there was this orchestra of crickets

I don't know about you folks, but I'm pretty disappointed in city council's response to this whole Bob Johnston thing.

It was like watching the previous council when faced with any sort of criticism — turtle, and whatever you do, deny there's a problem. Or, better yet, let's just all pretend we didn't see that big purple dinosaur in the corner of the room.

By mostly ignoring what Johnston had to say a couple weeks ago, council is, in effect, dragging the man's name through the mud. I don't like
that.

Ward 7 Coun. Mike Jakubo and Ward 1 Coun. Mark Signoretti at least had the wherewithal to say they hadn't witnessed the "toxic" work environment Johnston described. That I can respect. Refusing to comment, I cannot.

We elected these people to represent our interests, that certainly includes how our business is run. We're all shareholders in this enterprise called the City of Greater Sudbury. If one of our most trusted employees says, "Hey, there's an issue here that indicates our business could be run a better way," council owes us a response.

It's important to remember we don't know — in Stephen Colbert's words — the truthiness of Johnston's allegations. He had a lot of inflammatory things to say, things that should make all of us stand up and take notice, but again, these are the opinions of just one man.

In fact, Bigger used the same words to downplay Johnston's criticisms. Johnston is more than just one man, though. I've been a reporter a long time. And as a reporter, you dream of getting a source like Bob Johnston. He's as highly placed as you can get. He has an absolutely stellar reputation. He gained nothing by talking. Dismissing his accusations as the disgruntled recriminations of a guy who was fired holds no water — Johnston simply goes back to his highly placed, well-paying job as CEO of the airport.

And crucially, he was willing to put his reputation on the line by talking to the media on the record, without the blanket of anonymity. You literally can't get any better than that. And yet, of the 12 councillors (excluding the mayor), only Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini was willing to listen. One councillor even made the patently ridiculous claim this whole situation is somehow the media's fault — which makes about as much sense as blaming the table when you stub your toe.

After four years of embarrassing in-fighting and entrenchment under the previous council, I can understand why our current crop of councillors feels it necessary to appear united. I'm sure they believe that's what we, the public, want to see.

Appearing united at all costs, however, doesn't do anyone any good. In fact, it's an abdication of responsibility.

But there's more. Something odd happened at the Nov. 24 council meeting that has me wondering. See if you can follow me on this. Council voted to turn over control of the Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) funds — the so-called ward slush funds — to staff. Finally. The mayor recommended this policy change back when he was auditor general.

Certainly, the move is worthy of applause. It was a system with too much potential for abuse.

Funny thing, though. That item wasn't on the original agenda. This major policy change — the cause of much consternation and spillage of newspaper ink for years — appeared as if from nowhere as an add-on at the end of the very next council meeting after Bob Johnston said city staff was suffering under the worst working environment at city hall he'd ever seen.

What's more, the man who introduced the motion was none other than Michael Vagnini, the only member of council willing to listen to what Johnston had to say.

As if that isn't odd enough, the motion passed unanimously, which is strange because even Ward 5 Coun. Bob Kirwan voted for it. On his Valley East Today page on Facebook, Kirwan has been most vociferous in his defence of the ward funds, practically calling proponents of changing them stupid.

Maybe I'm just a jaded editor, but to me this whole ward funds thing smacks of an attempt by council to change the conversation away from Johnston's allegations, to show unity, to show not only that there's no problem, but that the relationship is so good, council is willing to trust staff with the HCI funds. A tail wagging a dog, if you will.

If true, it's a very cynical kind of politicking, the kind I thought we voted out last fall. I hope I'm wrong.

Mark Gentili is the managing editor of NorthernLife.ca.