By Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
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Chatham-Kent council won’t be sending a message to Queen’s Park regarding ousting municipal councillors for bad behaviour.
In a four to 12 vote, a motion by Chatham Coun. Michael Bondy to send a letter to the Ford government opposing tough new legislation, that would see the removal of councillors and possibly prohibit them running again for four years, was defeated at the Mar. 3 council meeting.
The failed motion stated that ” the voting public” should be the only mechanism allowed to remove a “sitting elected government official.”
It also read that “council recognizes that elections alone determine who sits on any municipal council and that practice cannot be undone by unelected bureaucrats and Integrity Commissioners.”
However, because the Ontario government was paused due to the election, the Municipal Accountability Act 2024 that was tabled in the legislature is now dead, making Bondy’s motion a moot point.
But the councillor pointed out the proposed bill could resurface under the new government and action should still be taken.
“What I don’t like is what the province wants to do, is it would give the ability for a democratically elected councillor to be removed,” he said, noting a “firewall” is in place at the municipal level whereby council must have a unanimous vote to proceed with sanctions.
Bondy said the potential exists that a few people would have the ability to vote against someone, noting it’s a “subjective” process.
“We’ve seen things go to the Integrity Commissioner that are not worthy of that kind of scrutiny,” he said. “There’s a good way to fire us and that’s not vote for us next time around.”
North Kent Coun. Rhonda Jubenville echoed Bondy, noting that a small council could have a mentality to “turn against” the colleague in question.
Jubenville said that removing a councillor should only happen if they commit an egregious “criminal” act, adding any decision about holding office should be left up to the electorate.
But the majority of council disagreed.
“I think we need to have a process to hold us accountable,” Chatham Coun. Marjorie Crew stressed, adding council has a code of conduct in place.
Chatham Coun. Brock McGregor also chimed in stating that under current rules, the only way you can be removed from council is if you spend too much on a campaign.
He said that “a lot of the advocacy” for the legislature came from a situation in Ottawa where a councillor committed “incomprehensible” acts of intimation and harassment” as described by the Integrity Commissioner.
There was no way to remove the councillor, McGregor said, meaning municipal staff experiencing the harassment had to continue to work with him.
“These rules and changes come about because there’s been really terrible behaviour and there is no mechanism to protect people from that type of behaviour,” he said. “I hope legislation like this gets re-tabled. Everyone deserves a safe work space.”
Councillors Jubenville, Amy Finn, Ryan Doyle and Bondy voted in favour of the motion.
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