Ontario could intervene to fix dysfunctional West Nipissing council
The provincial government could be called to intervene to fix the so-called dysfunctional West Nipissing council.
The inability for council members to get along is starting to frustrate local residents.
“This is a real mess. I wish they could settle their differences and get back to work,” said one man.
“This has been going on for a couple of years,” said another. “They should either quit or just get along.”
Since the current council's term began in 2018, there’s been tension. Former councillor Jeremy Seguin resigned in July 2020, leaving a vacant council seat that has not been filled.
There’s also an ongoing issue with Mayor Joanne Savage regarding the town's chief administrative officer. A notice of motion from the mayor regarding the CAO appears to raise personnel issues, something normally discussed in camera under provincial privacy rules.
Some councillors say the motion should be removed from council’s agenda and be discussed behind closed doors due to legal issues for the municipality.
“I can’t speak to the specifics of that of course,” said CAO Jay Barbeau.
The Jan. 4 council meeting was cut short, and council hasn’t been at the table since the end of November.
It’s the same situation that made regular meetings in September and October impossible.
“The public’s reaction is one of frustration,” said Barbeau. “They did elect the council and the mayor to carry out business and that is the frustration.”
If council does not convene for 60 days, which would mean no meetings take place in January, the province has the power to step in and try to reconvene the members.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing can also disband council and force an early election under the Municipal Act.
Meanwhile, aside from the politics, town officials said services are still being supplied.
“The core services of the municipality are still being offered,” said Barbeau. “Our streets are plowed and the garbage is collected and we can turn our taps on with water.”
A council meeting is scheduled for next week. Whether it will actually be held remains to be seen.
Voters in the municipality will elect a new council in October.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.