Investigation concludes Timmins city councillors violated code of conduct

Timmins' integrity commissioner recommends reprimands for two councillors over disparaging remarks about Mayor Michelle Boileau.

Two members of city council in Timmins who complained to the integrity commissioner about the mayor have themselves been found to have violated the city’s code of conduct.

Councillors John Curley and Bill Gvozdanovic filed complaints about Mayor Michelle Boileau following a special council meeting in June that Boileau ended abruptly.

In turn, the mayor filed complaints with Deborah Anschell of ADR Chambers, the city’s integrity commissioner, about the behaviour of Curly and Gvozdanovic.

The dispute centred on a June 24 meeting called to discuss the redesign of Leo Del Villano Park in the city’s south end.

When an angry Curley raised his voice, Boileau admonished him, after which he shot back, “I’m raising my voice because you’re interrupting me.”

The back-and-forth continued until Boileau abruptly adjourned the meeting.

In their complaint, the councillors said that the mayor lost her temper – and control of the meeting.

“The councillors say that near the end of the meeting, Coun. Curley had the floor and was immediately stopped by the mayor,” Anschell wrote in her report.

“Coun. Gvozdanovic raised a point of order to allow him to continue. The councillors say that at that point, the mayor lost her temper. Coun. Gvozdanovic appealed the mayor’s decision and the councillors voted to overrule the mayor, allowing Coun. Curley to continue.”

When Curley began speaking again, the councillors alleged the mayor interrupted him with her gavel and asked Curley to apologize, then adjourned the meeting.

“The councillors … maintain that she did not abide by the procedure bylaw. The councillors state that the mayor has no power to end a meeting in this fashion. They maintain that the mayor violated the code and the procedure bylaw.”

Both councillors spoke to the media in July about their plans to complain to the integrity commissioner about the mayor. Boileau made a complaint of her own at that point.

“The mayor indicates that she believed that the complaint brought against her was vexatious in nature and appears to be part of a broader plan to disparage her publicly,” the report said.

“With respect to interrupting Coun. Curley, the mayor indicated that Coun. Curley had the floor for over two minutes before she asked him to stop. The mayor denied losing her temper and stated that she remained calm and composed.”

Boileau also said that Curley spoke for half a minute after he resumed the floor before she interjected again, and raised her gavel when he “began to raise his voice.”

She said the city’s procedure bylaw allows her to adjourn a meeting without a motion, accusing Curley and Gvozdanovic of filing “frivolous, vexatious” complaints against her.

“The mayor noted that the language used to characterize her conduct is indicative of a double standard and an underlying tone of misogyny,” the report said.

‘Knee-jerk reaction’

Curley denied to the integrity commissioner that he had violated the code of conduct, while Gvozdanovic responded that “the mayor has lost the respect of most of the council.”

“Further, he believes that her complaint was a knee-jerk reaction that he expected,” the report said.

“The councillor responded that it’s a free country and he is able to speak his mind freely about the mayor. He believes that there was no violation of the code.”

Anschell concluded that while Boileau didn’t violate the code of conduct,but Curley and Gvozdanovic did.

She said she viewed video of the June 24 meeting “several times” and “in my opinion, I do not see a violation of the code on the part of the mayor.”

“It was definitely a heated meeting and the mayor did her best as chair to control the proceedings. She allowed both councillors to speak and only interjected when they raised their voices.”

“In my view, the procedure bylaw was followed by the mayor,” Anschell wrote.

Tried to foster decorum

“She made every effort to foster decorum. However, Coun. Curley would not adhere to her request that he lower his voice. At that time, the mayor adjourned the meeting.”

However, she ruled there wasn’t enough evidence to conclude that the councillors’ complaint was based on misogyny.

But Boileau’s complaint that Curley and Gvozdanovic made comments to the media that disparaged her did violate section 6.1 of code of conduct.

“This provision prohibits any council member from making any disparaging comments about another member,” Anschell wrote.

“It is clear (from) a plain reading of the quotes above, that both councillors made disparaging comments about the mayor.”

She recommended both councillors be reprimanded.

Read Anschell’s full report here. It will be reviewed at Tuesday’s city council meeting.