Mayor Lou Maieron is calling foul over virtually every aspect of a recently-released report by integrity commissioner John Craig, which states the mayor has repeatedly breached the town’s code of ethics in his treatment of staff.
The 24-page report was posted online as part of the Dec. 3 agenda package. On Dec. 3, shortly after the report was tabled, Maieron spent roughly 25 minutes arguing the contents of the report.
Maieron has refused to accept Craig’s report and its recommendations, as well as the decision of council that night.
“I will not be muzzled,” the mayor stated at the meeting.
Council voted 3-2 in favour of accepting the report and endorsing its recommendations, but Maieron contends there was widespread collusion to undermine his position as mayor.
Prior to comments regarding the integrity commissioner report, councillor John Brennan cautioned council.
He suggested it was unfair to the mayor to have to preside over a decision regarding an integrity commissioner report about himself. Brennan suggested the mayor be given the opportunity to remove himself from the discussion, should he so wish.
The mayor chose to remain at the table and later read a prepared document to council and those attending the meeting.
Councillor Barb Tocher wondered what happens if the report recommendations are not followed.
“Are there any repercussions?” Tocher asked.
Integrity commissioner John Craig said, “I would say ‘no’. It is up to council to enforce its own resolutions.”
He added, “What is out of your control is whether the mayor goes ahead with the request of council to attend a training course. It is something you cannot force him to do.”
Councillor Brennan said when he first read the report, he realized it would be a very touchy issue.
“I tried to look at what is best for the residents of Erin,” said Brennan. “When it comes to trying to force the mayor to undergo training, I think that’s a waste of time and taxpayers’ money … Either the mayor will decide it’s something he wants to do or doesn’t want to do.”
Brennan said when he looked at the recommendation to suspend a month’s remuneration, “I had to ask myself, ‘Is that going to help the situation, or is that going to just pour gasoline on a fire?’”
Brennan cautioned if council moved ahead with the report as it was, “I think it effectively means for the rest of this term of council, there’s going to be a war going on. I don’t see any way of reconciling it.”
Brennan also said, “The hope of reconciliation on the other side is slim if we don’t do something.”
Maieron then spent the next 25 minutes blasting the process, the findings and the integrity of the integrity commissioner.
“I found this matter very one-sided with the integrity commissioner holding all the cards,” said Maieron, who suggested there was little evidence to support the allegations made by councillor Josie Wintersinger.
Maieron claimed Craig initially only provided 36 hours to respond to the accusations, but after Maieron contacted his lawyer, the time frame became more generous.
“The integrity commissioner relies on very few facts, to render his decisions,” Maieron claimed. “I don’t know what his evidence is … other than unsubstantiated snippets here and there, nor do I know who are the witnesses who made these snippets.”
Maieron claimed Craig went beyond the original mandate to seek evidence to prove the complaint.
Maieron said he was found guilty of leaving a meeting while it was in progress and providing false information about the hiring process for a new CAO. He added information from Municipal Affairs states the reasons for excusing oneself from a meeting rests with the council member.
“The code of conduct does not supersede the Municipal Act,” said Maieron.
He accused Brennan of misinforming council regarding the rules of a staff/council working meeting. He then said the clerk/acting CAO should have corrected Brennan at that time.
Maieron maintained the bylaws indicated that those meetings were not to make decisions or to pass bylaws.
“But without any notice to the public we added a whole regular council meeting.” Maieron then said, “… and the clerk was advancing herself to be CAO.”
He claimed, “I’m not found guilty of misleading the public, so everything thing I said, I guess was true. But was found guilty. That’s why you find yourself in a position where you are the chair and your council is breaking the rules of engagement in procedural bylaw, and everything else … you leave.”
Maieron claimed the crux of the report “involved the tone of emails and my disrespectful behaviour towards staff.”
Maieron contended only one email was provided.
“I think [Craig] way over-stepped [his] bounds and this became a witch hunt over anything the mayor had done over his whole life, instead of dealing with the one item,” said Maieron.
He contended the integrity commissioner had also never seen Maieron operate a meeting from the mayor’s chair.
Maieron said, “I also told you I don’t come to the office anymore because I don’t feel safe here. I’ve never been ‘a member of the club’ and I’ve been treated with contempt and disrespect.”
He contended Craig’s report was in fact a “character assassination.”
Maieron said it seemed the concept of integrity had become more complicated of late.
“What a horrific thought, that I would sit down with a resident, express some views and help solve a problem,” said Maieron.
He also objected to the withholding of his wages for one month, calling the move “too harsh.” Maieron suggested that based on employment law “this is my first offense” and typically, things like this would be dealt with by progressive disciplines.
“It is very challenging being the mayor of Erin these days,” said Maieron. “There is no question that some people do not like me, others do. I’m a black and white guy in a grey world.”
Maieron contended he was being used “as a scapegoat for having the courage to assist the staff to do their job and meet the expectations of the public.”
He said “there have been two-and-half years of incidents and I’m not going to make excuses. Finally I had enough. I wrote an email that – oooh – according to you, is slightly disrespectful.”
Maieron said he currently had four letters regarding resident concerns with staff.
“I am very glad [some] of these allegations were deemed unfounded,” Maieron said. He added it is unfortunate the allegation that he had been disrespectful and had impugned the reputation of staff was considered valid.
“I wish to advise that I do not accept this arbitrary ruling and I believe the language of this particular allegation and the language of the integrity commissioner to be defamatory and a personal attack on my character as a person,” Maieron declared.
He stated that since he intended to continue as mayor, he believed he should have a say in having his withheld wages donated to the local food bank.
Council did not make a decision on what to do with that money.
