Fontana collects $359 a day until resignation official

CTV London: Fontana still London mayor, for now Business continues at city hall, but the clerk confirms Joe Fontana remains mayor until his resignation is made official.

Despite saying he is resigning, Joe Fontana remains the mayor and continues to collect a paycheque.

But nobody is in the driver’s seat at city hall.

Nobody can take Fontana’s place until he makes his resignation official. Tuesday’s committee meeting ran as if Joe Fontana was simply out of the office. Vice chair Judy Bryant ran the meeting.

“Right now the mayor is still in office and is not absent under the legislation, so we don't yet need an acting mayor,” says city clerk Cathy Saunders.

The clerk confirms he's still getting paid.

The mayor's salary includes a tax-free component, which makes the annual amount equivalent to $131,000 or $359 per day.

Coun. Joe Swan won't take over as temporary acting mayor until Fontana's resignation.

“My understanding is that the transition is under way and that the acting mayor will happen on Thursday in the late afternoon,” Swan says.

That would see Fontana earn about $2,500 for the time between his conviction and resignation.

He also pledges to smooth the transition, but as of yet has had no communication with Swan.

“There are rules and procedures.  Any information that has to be transferred to me or to council will come through the clerk or legal staff,” Swan says.

Moving forward now hinges on the timing of Fontana sending a resignation letter to the clerk. Only then will his paycheques stop.

“Immediately we would enact the acting mayor. That resignation letter would then go to the next available council meeting”

Fontana is scheduled to hold a news conference on Thursday.

Elsewhere, London is all the talk.

Here's what some in other communities have to say about the outgoing mayor and former federal cabinet minister.

Political science professor Martin Horak says the negative attention is having an impact.

“This is reflecting quite badly on London's image in terms of the quality of its leadership and I think it's unfortunate because it's not entirely fair. We have a lot of good people in politics, even though it's not really related to municipal politics because Joe Fontana got convicted for something that he did while he was federal MP. It still reflects on the reputation of this city.”

Coun. Joni Baechler says the city needs to put its troubles behind it.

“What we certainly want going forward is stability.  We want to be able to present confidence in government to those watching. I think that we want to be professional and move this city forward quickly. We've been lagging behind.

Formal good-byes

Fontana has started his good-byes, at least by e-mail.

He sent this to friends, colleagues and members of the business community:

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

It was a pleasure to have met you or worked with you to discuss projects that benefited Londoners and this vibrant, progressive community.  London’s strength has always been the men and women who tirelessly give their time and talent.  You are one of those special people and it has been an honour to work with you.

Kindest regards,

Honourable Joe Fontana

Mayor