MUNICIPAL ELECTION FAIRNESS

Municipal election fighters gets legal reprieve
Apr 11th, 2011 | By Staff | Section: 2010 Municipal Candidates
This ran in the KW Record……… comments invited below

Two “passionate” Cambridge residents got a quick lesson in law and a legal reprieve when they took their battle to redo the Cambridge municipal election to court Monday.

Justice Donald Gordon agreed to adjourn the case until next month to allow the pair to pursue hiring a lawyer to present their arguments in proper legal documents for the courts to consider.

The Kitchener Superior court judge said the information presented to him Monday, such as newspaper articles, was unsworn evidence which he could not consider.

Debbie Vitez and defeated council candidate Thomas Vann say the Oct. 25 election was bungled, with seniors and disabled people denied convenient voting areas and having to wait over two hours to vote because of long lines and problems with ballot counting machines.

“We are just two passionate taxpayers” who have no clue about legal procedure, Vitez told the judge. “We just kind of bungled our way through this.”

Vann told Gordon that he is willing to go into debt to hire a lawyer so the concerns of seniors who came to him with their election night problems can be heard in court. The legal costs are estimated at $20,000.

But Gordon warned the pair that the longer this case takes to get to court, the less likely that their request for a new election will be granted as elected councillors have already been in office for six months.

“We want a new election. That is why we are here,” Vitez said in an interview after court.

At the end of Monday’s brief court appearance, Vann said Cheryl Zahnleiter, Cambridge’s assistant city solicitor, approached him about meeting with city staff to explore an alternate solution rather than taking the issue to court.

Vann said that is the first time such an offer has been made. He said he will consider it.

At court, Zahnleiter said the city will be asking the courts to order Vann and Vitez to pay legal costs the city has incurred in this matter.

“I am quite upset especially since we are fighting for the people who have difficulty representing themselves,” Vann said.

FROM THE CAMBRIDGE ADVOCATE

From: Gary J Rolko…Listowel Honda
Apr 4th, 2011 | By Staff | Section: Announcements
Hello Everyone,

For those that are unaware, tragedy struck our town on March 17.

While battling a terrible blaze, two of our volunteer firefighters lost there lives.

In memory of Ray Walter and Ken Rae, I will make a donation for every new or used vehicle I sell, too both

The Ray Walter Memorial Fund and The Atwood Firefighters.

This will continue for the entire month of April/11.

Your support is greatly appreciated.

*2011 Honda Civics…0.9% financing up to 60 months, 0.9% lease rate up to 48 months, plus $750 gas card on all Civics*

*2011 Honda CRVs…0.9% financing up to 60 months, 0.9% lease rate up to 48 months*

*OAC, valid until April 30/11*


Gary J Rolko

Sales & Leasing
Listowel Honda
519.291.2490
877.323.9333
gary@listowelhonda.com
www.listowelhonda.com