The Town of Erin has hired a lawyer to defend a lawsuit launched by its former CAO.
After a closed meeting on Sept. 1, Mayor Allan Alls announced the municipality will retain Madorin Snyder LLP “to defend the claims made by Frank Miele not covered by the Town of Erin’s insurance as against the Town of Erin, Barb Tocher, Kathryn Ironmonger, Josie Wintersinger and Deborah Callaghan.”
Alls did not go into further detail and council did not discuss the resolution prior to its approval.
Tocher, Wintersinger and Callaghan are former Erin councillors. Ironmonger took over as CAO after Miele was fired in May of 2013, less than a year after being named to the position. Former Mayor Lou Maieron spoke out several times against the process used to fire Miele and to hire his replacement.
Miele was paid $162,259 in 2013, including what appears to be a large payout after his dismissal.
The Erin role marked Miele’s third position as a CAO within a year. In 2012 Miele resigned as Meaford CAO to become Gravenhurst CAO. In September of 2012 he left Gravenhurst to become Erin CAO/town manager.
At one time Miele also served as vice-president of Solmar Developments, which has proposed a residential development in Erin that could include 1,000 homes.
