SUDBURY -- Greater Sudbury Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier should have his pay suspended for 60 days, the city's integrity commissioner has ruled.
In a report headed to city council March 23, Robert Swayze said that a letter from Montpellier to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and a subsequent report on the letter by CTV News, "were purposely an attempt to injure the professional reputation of the CAO."
The original complaint was made by Ward 4 Coun. Geoff McCausland, who wrote to Swayze on Jan. 26 to complain that Montpellier had "publicly harassed a member of staff and disclosed confidential information from an in camera meeting, both contrary to the Code of Conduct for members of council and local boards."
The controversy began at a Dec. 21, 2020, meeting when Greater Sudbury CAO Ed Archer accidentally made a private chat with another staffer public. In that chat, Archer characterized Montpellier's behaviour as "buffoonish" and hostile.
"The comment was ultimately streamed to the public and media but redacted from the recording of the meeting," the commissioner's report said. "The CAO has apologized on several occasions. As improperly pointed out by the respondent to CTV News, the CAO’s mistake was dealt with in camera. That should have been the end of it."
CTV News has obtained a disciplinary letter from Mayor Brian Bigger sent to Archer, in which Archer was suspended for one day for making the comments. And he emailed an apology to councillors after the meeting.
"Please accept my apologies for inadvertently sharing messages with the whole group during tonight's meeting," the apology said. "What started as a private exchange regarding an agenda item with one of my staff became an exchange sent to the whole group. This was a mistake and I apologize for the error."
But an angry Montpellier was not satisfied with the apology, and later wrote to Trudeau, arguing that Archer's behaviour was similar to that of former Governor General Julie Payette, who resigned when an investigation uncovered bullying and other issues connected to Payette.
"There was some mention of it in the in-camera and today, apparently, I can't speak about what goes on in the secret meetings, but there was an address and today the known harasser and slanderer, still runs the city," Montpellier said in the CTV report.
Swayze ruled that Montpellier not only publicly harassed a member of city staff, he also disclosed confidential information discussed at an in camera meeting.
"It is my judgement that these infractions are serious enough for me to recommend a sanction of the suspension of his salary for 60 days beginning with the next pay period," Swayze ruled.
While the integrity commissioner can recommend a punishment, it's city council that decides whether to implement the decision. A vote is expected at the March 23 meeting.
