Aldershot’s colourful, sometimes disruptive Halton Catholic School Board Trustee Vincent Iantomasi has a plan to promote his re-election.
He is running for the Wards 1 & 2 trustee position, which includes downtown Burlington and Aldershot.
Iantomasi today issued campaign literature that identifies balanced budgets as his priority, along with a safe school environment and the assurance that “Gospel values are embedded in all policies and practices so that every child matters.”
Earlier this year, Iantomasi received a lot of attention when he voted against flying the Pride flag at Catholic schools, but he remained firm in his position.
He also believes in the importance of trustees following the legislative rules. “Personal agendas and societal wills should not override fundamental duties of a trustee.”
With a long history of speaking his mind, Iantomasi goes on to imply some dissatisfaction with other board members.
“Ministry of Education legislation, municipal bylaws and board policies form the backbone for our decision-making process when developing policies and are sometimes side-stepped at the board table by personal agendas and political influences.”
Some feel that Iantomasi may face an uphill battle having been suspended from his position during the summer for alleged breaches of the board’s Code of Conduct.
His opposition candidate is Kirsten Kelly, who once served as a student trustee on the board.
A lobby group known as the Halton Parents for Change is supporting Kelly and condemns Iantomasi’s behaviour.
“Burlington Trustee Vincent Iantomasi has spent much of his term acting as an obstruction to the board. …Trustee Iantomasi has proven to be argumentative and disrespectful during meetings, resulting in his ejection from four separate meetings in 2021.”
The election is October 24.
