EXCLUSIVE: New information on the Integrity Commissioner findings

Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters, cannot be trusted with important matters– Albert Einstein

 

Monday night, council was supposed to hear a presentation from Integrity commissioner Robert Swayze. It was absent from the agenda which came out last night, and hopefully some clarification will come today.

Swayze, who has been on the job since 2013, was to present council with some facts and figures on what the town has paid him so far, the services we have received, and the contributing factors to those costs.

The previous council hired Swayze, and gave him a contract which gives him a $7,500 retainer per year, and he bills the town at $260/hour.

His contract was also to contain an “upset” limit of $15K/year, meaning that the monies paid to him can’t exceed that amount, presumably without council approval.

This is where council may have to make some tough decisions, based on what Swayze eventually presents to them. According to the town, the amount paid to Swayze in 2014, was approx. $33K, or more than double what had been budgeted.

To date (including this year), the total stand at over $48K.

Last term, only one report was brought to the public’s attention, and it became quite controversial, but controversy isn’t necessarily a cost to the taxpayers.

This term, there have been two complaints which have been made public.

The first complaint, came shortly after council voted 8-1, to extend CAO John Brown’s contract for one year. Councillor Kevin Lloyd cast the lone vote against.

Shortly thereafter,  a complaint was filed with the Integrity Commissioner, claiming that Councillor Cam Ecclestone had amongst other things, “entered into negotiations” with CAO Brown.

The Collingwood Connection published the story, and while it did not include the name of the person who filed the complaint, the paper was shown a confidential email which was used to justify the complaint.

The person who filed the complaint was in fact Councillor Kevin Lloyd (confirmed by Ecclestone).

The only person to vote against extending CAO Brown, was also the person who spent taxpayer money complaining about it.

Only the Connection knows who showed them the confidential email.

Integrity Commissioner Robert Swayze dismissed this complaint.

 

 

The second complaint came shortly after council voted unanimously, to award ACE Cabs the contract for the town’s accessibility shuttle.

The person, who filed this complaint, was Dick Hill.

I know little of Hill myself, other than that his only documented campaign contribution went to Ian Chadwick. Blogger VFAN writes,

“Another obvious attempt by Chadwick to spin his web of influence in the local political arena was this latest integrity commissioner complaint farce, ‎brought to bare by the Chadwick proxy Dick Hill”

In the report, Swayze found that Doherty did not violate the Code of Conduct.

 

 

A third complaint, was filed by former Councillor Ian Chadwick against Councillor Cam Ecclestone. The complaint alleges that Ecclestone acted inappropriately regarding the library board appointments, of which Chadwick himself was not selected. (confirmed by Ecclestone)

This complaint was immediately dismissed by Integrity Commissioner Robert Swayze,  on the reasoning that it was “without merit”. (confirmed by Ecclestone)

 

 

 

So what do we make of this?

Ian Chadwick wrote recently (on why the Integrity Commissioner was hired),

“It’s not for council’s use – although councillors can file complaints like anyone else – it is for the public. It is to provide a mechanism for any member of the public to question or challenge the behaviour of their elected representatives.

The public has every right to file any number of complaints. The IC is there for them. The public perception of council is at stake.”

 

 

I believe that what needs to be addressed regarding this issue is motive. Are the people filing these complaints (so far), genuinely interested in the betterment of Collingwood, or are they using the Integrity Commissioner as a weapon (at a huge cost to the taxpayer) for their own agendas?

 

Here is a timeline of the this issue over the past few months, that may help you understand this little better.

(2015)

February 2 – Ace Cabs decision which leads to Dick Hill complaint against Deb Doherty (#2)

February 17 – Council votes 8-1 to extend CAO contract (Kevin Lloyd against)(#1)

February 17 – Kevin Lloyd files complaint (#1) with Integrity Commissioner

February 17 – Council appoints members to committees and boards (#3)

February 17 – Ian Chadwick files complaint (#3) with Integrity Commissioner

March 6 – Ian Chadwick writes, “I was distressed to read this new council has decided to extend the interim CAO’s term.”

March (mid) – Integrity Commissioner dismisses Chadwick claim (#3) on the basis that it was “without merit“

March 9 – Dick Hill files complaint (#2) with Integrity Commissioner

March 12 – The Connection reports that they were shown a confidential email (supporting Kevin Lloyd‘s claim?(#1)

March 14 – Ian Chadwick (#3) write about above, “I believe the public has every right to read those emails.”

April 10 – Ian Chadwick writes, “I believe she (Kathy Jeffrey) should have stepped away from the table when council debated something that directly affected her and no other member of council.(FCM) Perhaps, too, someone will raise this with the Integrity Commissioner.“(Will this be filed as a complaint?)

April 20 – “It’s my understanding that the media was made aware of it before she was, which is unfortunate,” Kevin Lloyd said (Quote in E-B on #2)

April 20 – Integrity Commissioner finds that Deb Doherty did not violate the Code of Conduct (#2)

April 20 – Deb Doherty in E-B (#2) notes that Dick Hill in her view “wanted to make a point.”

April 20 – (#2) “When asked if he would like to provide comment for the E-B following council, (Kevin) Lloyd, who was in the process of taking his leave, declined” (E-B)

April 22 – Ian Chadwick (#3) writes a blog entitled, “We Need a Different Integrity Commissioner”

April 22 – The above blog contains excerpts from the Dick Hill (#2) letter, that has still not been made available to the public on the town website.

April 22 – The Connection writes, “Swayze has submitted two reports to council so far but has investigated a complaint involving Councillor Cam Ecclestone, which he dismissed.”(#3). As with their March 12 story, the Connection was shown confidential information.

April 26 – Ian Chadwick writes, (council) “voted to approve a sole-sourced taxi contract to the brother-in-law of Councillor Fryer“. (Will this be filed as a complaint?)

 

 

 

Three people….Kevin Lloyd, Dick Hill, Ian Chadwick.

Three complaints filed.

A lot of your money spent

What is their agenda?