Mayor and Councillor Bentivegna seem to have lost their tongues - during an election?

By Pepper Parr

July 28th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

Candidate Angelo Bentivegna willing posed for photographs that were used on his run for Council in 2018.

 

The Love My Neighbourhood story that we have been following was attended by two members of Council: Mayor Meed Ward and Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna.

Mayor Med Ward stopped responding to questions from the Gazette almost from the day she was elected.  Before then she was always available.

We put the following questions to Councillor Bentivegna:

Do you have any comment on the Love My Neighbourhood you attended with Mayor Meed Ward?

Did you personally know the people who held the event ?

You were aware of the Love My Neighbourhood program  –  I have heard you speak about it very favourably in the past.

Did you read the rules and restrictions set out in the program application?

Did you yourself sponsor or support anyone in your ward who received funds for an event.

And added the following comments in the email sent to the Councillor

I would like to follow up with this story before the end of the week – if you would like to talk about this on the record – let me know.

I recall an occasion when you didn’t fully understand what “working a room” meant.

There is another phrase you should find useful:  Get out in front of a news story before it takes over.

Early in his political career Bentivegna was available for interviews and photo sessions.

We look to him to explain his position on the Love My Neighbourhood event

Related news stories:

Director of Parks and Recreation explains

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7 comments to Mayor and Councillor Bentivegna seem to have lost their tongues – during an election?

  • Mary Hill

    A & D

    You and others seem to conveniently forget there are two other non-related parties to the Bateman deal. My understanding is that the school board required as a term in the deal that it remain confidential until the deal is complete.

    As a mayoral candidate how will you act if elected (Edited) should you be out voted and Council determines to keep a matter confidential? If elected will you abide by the City’s Code of Good Governance as it stands until such time as you might be successful in getting it changed?

    • Mary, you miss the point. My intention is to lead a properly elected council not brow beat them to agree with me or allow them to mislead the public. Like all members of the public A and D need to be reassured that incumbents are not using tax dollars in any way, shape or form to get to the decision making table as if they do they are not a true people’s choice. We hear lots about those who do not follow the rules of competition in sports and get penalised. But you seem to believe those who can get to the Council table and be responsible for spending a huge amount of public cash should not be exposed when their integrity is in question related to their campaign and taxpayers money. With no exposure the public is not making a fully informed choice in terms of exercising their right to choose who they believe will handle their money best.That continues to remove the public from the Council table where they belong.

      • Mary Hill

        You did not address my question of you let alone answer it. Please as a now mayoral candidate who openly supported Councilor Stolte’s action in breaking council confidentiality (and so the City’s Code of Good Governance) in regard to the Bateman purcgase, my question is most relevant and should be answered by you.

        No more flannel from you. Please just answer the question.

  • Alfred

    Sharon.

    That,s why we should be thankful we have Pepper and the Gazette. Cheers.

  • Thank you for that comment, Sharon. We thought it was just the Marsdens, the former Councillor, now Mayor and Chief Executive Officer of Burlington Meed Ward blocked from Better Burlington and played a significant role in blocking us from the public lectern, on numerous occasions beginning September 2014. Once the nominations are certified and she cannot withdraw her nomination, the questions she has refused to answer are going to be asked again, some by members of the Burlington electorate Anne and Dave Marsden and some by Anne Marsden candidate for Mayor and Chief Executive Officer of Burlington, depending on the nature of the questions.

    Councillor Paul Sharman will also have a few questions to answer that he also has developed an expertise in avoiding thus far! Jim Thomson brought to Gazette readers attention in terms of the Ontario Regulation 444/98 and the Bateman financial issues that Sharman stated were required to be kept confidential, got passed on to the City Manager when he was asked to produce the evidence of such. A staff person was given the task of informing Thomson that in fact Thomson was right there was no legal obligation to keep the matter confidential, simply city policy that has been part of city doing real estate business for several years. We have several questions of Sharman on several other topics.

    When Councillors and Mayors are elected to represent the best interests of the bill payers at every table they sit at, (including in a neighbors back yard), if even partially funded by city hall, they must be both transparent and accountable around any decision they make, such as attending an event, or are a part of making. That is a documented requirement of the honour and pay cheque received when serving in such positions.

  • Sharon

    Doesn’t surprise me at all that there had been a response. Especially from Mayor MMW, she blocks people from making comments on Facebook and Twitter. Which I find shameful!! Would you not think that elected officials would want to hear from their constituents? Apparently if MMW does not like your comments you are blocked.

    • Denise W.

      Maybe they think saying nothing is better than saying something? I am disillusioned by it all. Now I see, some politicians main job is to get elected. And it ends there. Perhaps they feel the electorate cannot see when they are doing a good job rather than doing what is popular? Either way with myself, no communication is a red flag. And I am willing to try voting for one I feel might be a better fit for the job.