To the Voters of East Gwillimbury

To the voters of East Gwillimbury:

Who do you want leading this Town? I hope it’s not the ones silencing you.

Over the past few days, defenders of the current establishment—including Matthew Lawrence —have been working overtime in the comments of my recent post. They are desperately trying to justify why this Council muted public microphones, making the absurd claim that Council was just "enforcing standards," and why the town administration disabled the Town's Facebook comments to supposedly "protect town staff."

Since they refuse to deal in reality, I am laying the facts out publicly for every taxpayer to see.

Their Claim: The Council is just trying to maintain efficiency and standards.

The Fact: Mayoral candidate Scott Crone just announced his campaign by claiming he outright rejects "Strong Mayor Powers." He told the public: "I believe the strongest mayors are the ones who work with their councils to reach consensus... Consensus is not weakness."

But his actual voting record tells a completely different story. He didn't even try to build "consensus" with his own colleagues. He forced this restriction as a complete surprise motion, bypassing standard agenda procedures. When then-Councillor (now MPP) Susan Lahey rightfully called the ambush "a very sad day for democracy," Scott and his voting bloc rammed it through anyway.

Watch the video added to this post. He didn't demand consensus. He explicitly demanded control, complaining that the taxpayers' right to speak was a loophole being "weaponized" against politicians.

Listen to him at first part: "These are council meetings, not public forums. They are our meetings..."

And then, the ultimate confession: “I’m trying to do something to bring control back to our meetings because we’re becoming a joke.”

He actually thinks Town Hall belongs to him. He claims to reject Strong Mayor Powers, but he already acts like an authoritarian when the public asks tough questions. And every single incumbent who voted in favour of his motion is equally guilty of that exact same arrogance.

That exact same need for control is why the Town disabled its Facebook comments on the recent Animal Services crisis. Make no mistake—the town administration does not operate in a vacuum. The tone of avoiding accountability is set directly from the top. When the politicians in charge demand to shut down microphones in chambers, it is absolutely no surprise that the administration simply follows suit and gags the public online. It was never about efficiency or protecting staff from harassment. It was about politicians silencing taxpayers so they didn't have to face the public outcry over a failed municipal contract.

You don't build "consensus" by turning off the microphones.

I am not going to waste any more of the voters' time playing games with middlemen.

@Scott Crone and @Loralea — I am challenging you directly as the very thing you are trying to silence: a taxpayer. You don't need defenders justifying your wrongdoing and making a joke out of taxpayers.

Scott, you campaign on "consensus" and claim it isn't weakness, but your own words on video prove otherwise. If you cannot handle a few minutes of public criticism as a Councillor without rewriting bylaws to protect your own ego, you have already proven you are entirely unfit for the pressure of being Mayor.

Loralea, you voted for this. Whether you are proud of silencing your own constituents, or you were just rubber-stamping Scott's demand for control, you have shown that you prioritize Council's comfort over the people who elected you.

I don't even need your excuses, because your voting record—and the video evidence—already speak for themselves. But I am tagging you anyway so you can’t hide from it. The taxpayers are watching. If you choose to stay silent and let your defenders continue covering for you, it just confirms exactly who you are.

To the voters of East Gwillimbury: Look at these actions and ask yourselves—what does "sound judgment" actually mean to you? Does it mean electing a Mayor and Council who demand "control" and agree behind closed doors just to avoid frustration? Or does it mean choosing representatives who do the hard, challenging work of actually listening to the taxpayers?

When elected officials view public input as an inconvenience, rewrite bylaws to silence criticism, and hide behind closed doors rather than facing the public, they prove unequivocally that they are unfit to lead.

October 26th is Election Day. If they demand "control" instead of accountability, we need to take control of Town Hall and not let them back in.

If you agree that it is time to bring accountability back to East Gwillimbury, please SHARE this post and the video. The taxpayers deserve to know the truth.

Shahab Aryan

East Gwillimbury Taxpayer

Independent Candidate for Ward 2 Council

For full transparency, I am providing the link to the complete, unedited 2-hour Council meeting. I deal in absolute facts, and I encourage every taxpayer to watch it for themselves: https://www.youtube.com/live/e04CvG77G1s?t=719s