How will four years of integrity investigations change who gets elected to town and city councils?
CBC
Many candidates running in this municipal election across northeastern Ontario are carrying baggage from the integrity commissioner investigations that have dominated some council agendas over the last four years.
No community has felt the impact more than Elliot Lake, which has had more integrity commissioner reports than the largest cities in the province.
The two leading mayoral candidates — incumbent Dan Marchisella and city councillor Chris Patrie — have both been called out violating the municipal code of conduct.
Elliot Lake city councillor Ed Pearce was accused of conflict of interest, found guilty by a judge, but then acquitted on appeal.
He is now suing the City of Elliot Lake and the firm it hired as its integrity commissioner for $35,000 in legal costs, which Pearce says was promised would be covered, plus $19,000 in punitive damages.
"I'm not proud that when you go to a course on the Municipal Act, the very first case they talk about is Pearce v. Elliot Lake," he said at a city council meeting early this month.
"The government of Ontario has imposed this regime on us. It is a joke. There is no other way to put it."
Pearce, who is not running for re-election, had a warning for Elliot Lake voters as they go to the polls.
"Think about the people you elect. Think about the kinds of people that get appointed by the people that you elect and whether or not they're the right people," he said.
"Get involved. If you don't get involved, this kind of nonsense happens."
Luc Cyr, who is also not running again after two terms on Elliot Lake city council, asked voters to consider the $858,000 the small city has spent on integrity commissioner reports over the last four years.
"Because this is a lot of our roads that aren't being financed. This is half of our pool," Cyr said.
"The incredible cost that weaponizing the [integrity commissioner] can have on a community."
Cyr said obviously there is a need to have some way to call out bad behaviour by elected officials "but it shouldn't be a political retaliation tool."
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