BY BILL BRADLEY
The event ticket issue, which is the talk of the town, could be settled Wednesday night at the next city council meeting, 7 pm at Tom Davies Square.
City councillors could bring back the vote on whether to allow themselves and city arena staff prior access to purchasing two tickets or zero tickets.
That would happen early during discussion of the bylaws and minutes from past meetings of other committees, specifically from the 26th Meeting of the Priorities Committee of the City of Greater Sudbury, page M27 of the agenda for the Wednesday council meeting.
Staff had recommended two options: no advance purchase by councillors and arena staff or a two ticket limit. The matter was hotly debated with much emotion. Ward 6 Councillor Andre Rivest put a motion forward for a citizen's committee to decide the best policy. That was defeated. Ward 8 Councillor Ted Callaghan argued for a policy whereby only arena staff had prior purchase rights for two tickets. That was defeated.
Mayor John Rodriguez argued that council had to make a decision. A vote was held regarding allowing arena staff and councillors the option of buying two tickets each. The vote was tied.
Those who voted for no advance ticket sales to arena staff or councillors were: Ward 1 Councillor Joe Cimino, Ward 8 Councillor Ted Callaghan, Ward 3 Councillor Claude Berthiaume, Ward 5 Councillor Ron Dupuis, Ward 4 Councillor Evelyn Dutrisac, and Ward 7 Councillor Russ Thompson. Ward 9 Councillor Doug Craig was absent.
Any councillor can ask for the ticket matter to be brought back up for discussion, and a new vote held. A majority of one vote means the issue is settled.
Because no policy has been decided, no arena staff or councillors can purchase any event tickets in advance of the public, including Avril Lavigne's, said Ray Mensour, Sudbury Arena manager Monday.
Meanwhile the ticket issue is causing tension in the city.
City councillors, city staff and their families said they are facing harassment by emails and phone calls over the Elton John ticket controversy last week at the priorities meeting.
“This has been a bad time personally for me to be dragged into this. My father passed away in January. It was bad enough to get nasty emails and calls, but when they left nasty messages on my deceased father's phone line, I have to say here in this meeting, that was despicable,” said Thompson.
“What is this all about? No one did anything wrong. We paid for our tickets. This is a major injustice. I got so much harassment from the media I considered getting a lawyer. Someone is trying to make a name for himself at our expense. If I go to any event I will buy a ticket just like anybody else. I vote for selling no advance tickets to anyone, period, but we will be dammed by the media for whatever we decide,” he said.
Ward 5 Councillor Ron Dupuis said he has been surprised by the fact people are putting such as dark cloud over them.
“I think of the good decisions we have made. Yet the only thing they can hang us for are freaking tickets we paid for. It is upsetting what is happening in this city. What big name acts would want to come here after all this negativity?”
Mayor John Rodriguez said he was concerned by the treatment of his council by their very emotional comments last Wednesday night. He reiterated that he had made a mistake and had apologized to the community.
One local businessman with decades of public relations background, and who declined to give his name, offered the following advice:
“Look I don't usually give out free advice in my business. But here it is. No tickets for arena staff. If they are working the event they get in, free. As for the city council, if the promoter really wants city politicians, then he or she calls the city and requests the mayor and or the deputy mayor to be present. Do you really think Avril Lavigne wants a bunch of city councillors at her concert?”
