Your move, Mr. Rennick

When Mayor Al McDonald forbade the North Bay Taxpayers Association's Don Rennick from presenting to City Council on September 6, unless he apologized for remarks made about City staff, there was a palpable sense of anticipation for their next meeting.

Would the mayor demand another apology?

Would Rennick say he was sorry and really mean it?

Would security be summoned to the Council chambers as they were two weeks ago?

This long-running feud had picked up steam at the last regular meeting of Council. Alas, Monday evening, the Mayor was in his customary seat, but Rennick was nowhere to be found.

In a BayToday poll, a sizable response from readers showed that a consensus has formed regarding the affair, with most responders of the opinion that Rennick should not be barred from speaking.

Inquiries as to the NBTA's intentions on future presentations at Council went unanswered as of publication time.

It's probably not the last we'll see of this municipal drama. Rennick has stated publicly that he has no intentions of apologizing, and McDonald reiterated Monday that Rennick would not be allowed to present until he does so.

So, a standoff has resulted. Those who keep up on local politics are eager to see how this all plays out.