Amid Calls For Her Resignation, Vaughan Mayor Linda Jackson Launches Plan To ‘Restore Cooperation’ At City Hall

To say Vaughan Mayor Linda Jackson is a controversial figure is an understatement.

Barely a month ago, all eight councillors demanded her resignation for what they called poor leadership and a lack of integrity.

In February, a provincial auditor was called in to investigate allegations of improper spending on her 2006 campaign – an election she won by only 90 votes.

The probe found she didn’t violate any rules but there were unanswered questions about $14,000 in charges on her corporate Amex card that still haven’t been explained

Sunday, Jackson came out swinging, launching a plan to “restore cooperation” at City Hall. The details were announced Monday.

The ‘Working Together For Vaughan” campaign would toughen rules for expense records, exclude alcohol from business meals and encourage councillors to come up with ideas on how to get along better.

“People want us to set aside our personal differences and return professionalism to City Hall. Our job is too important to continue along in this acrimonious way,” Jackson stated in a press conference Sunday (pictured).

“A recommendation that I’ll be bringing forward to the working session is to have no alcohol in our expenses and also to restrict cell phone and BlackBerry usage; put a ceiling on those expenses,” she added.

Here are the highlights:

• Requiring that three signatures be obtained to verify the accuracy of expense claims
• Mandate specific standards for the use of cellphones and BlackBerries
• Mandate specific standards for the Mayor’s and Senior Management Fleet Vehicles
• Restrict expense claims to business meals only; no alcohol
• Mandate specific standards for personal expenses, the use of corporate credit cards and companion expenses
• Mandate specific rules for Campaign-related city expenses

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