Don Rennick, treasurer of the North Bay Taxpayers Association usually has plenty to say at city council meetings, but Monday night he sat in silence, duct tape covering his mouth.
The move is to protest Mayor Al McDonald's action of banning him from speaking until he apologizes publicly during a council meeting for saying city staff have been misleading Council, and Council has been unable to grasp this fact.
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However, Taxpayers Association President Miles Peters, speaking as a taxpaying citizen, did address council.
"The proposed changes to the procedural bylaw are designed with the power to exclude, restrict and encumber public input rather than encourage capable and concerned citizens to participate, get involved and contribute. There are far too many decisions made in this chamber for the sake of expediency rather than applying the responsible tediousness of due diligence.
"I hope you will do the right thing and not follow. Because other people do things a certain way doesn't make it right."
Meanwhile, 10-year-old Sidney Peltier told councillors, "Please do not close presentations off to the public. To close would promote voter apathy. This means that people will care less because they think you don't care to listen to people like me."
