MAYOR LAJOIE RELEASES STATEMENT FOLLOWING INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER’S REPORT "$56"-*5 4r/&84
GABRIELLE VINETTE gabrielle.vinette@eap.on.ca
this behavior as threatening or intimidating, I did. In a climate where aggression is on the rise in politics, it is imperative to respect the feelings and experiences of those who are subjected to such behavior. Maintaining high standards of respect and decorum is essential for effective governance, benefiting everyone in our community,” Mayor Lajoie stated. “There are procedures in place to ensure everyone has the right to speak, and there is no justification for anyone to shout during council meetings.” She calls the behaviour presented by the councillor as “unacceptable on our council as long as I am mayor.” Mayor Lajoie goes on to say that she will work towards finding effective solutions to maintain order even in challenging situations. She states that although she respects the Integrity Commissioner’s process, she believes that resolving issues internally, when possible, will foster a more collaborative and trusting environment and would have preferred the opportunity to resolve this internally before it escalated. For the second part of the complaint, al- though she was not found to have breached the Code of Conduct, Mayor Lajoie acknowledges her right to freedom of speech regarding my social media posts she will continue to “use my voice to hold myself and the council accoun- table” and to communicate with residents of Casselman. Mayor Lajoie is inviting residents to the $BTTFMNBODJUZIBMMPO8FEOFTEBZ +VMZ at 6 p.m. to give the public the opportunity to ask questions, voice concerns, and engage directly with her. “I believe in the power of open dialogue and am committed to rebuilding trust within our community,” she stated.
It was acknowledged that it is natural lear- ning curve for a new mayor, but a “zealous pursuit of the rules and proper procedure along with a deficient understanding of such proce- dure has become a problematic combination.” For that reason, it was recommended that Council require the Mayor develop a training and education plan for municipal operations, council conduct, and chairing meetings. The mayor should commence any courses or training within six months of July 9, when the report was made public. The second part of the complaint was concerning social media posts made by the Mayor which provided highlights for of Council meetings. The complaint alleged that some of the posts contained false information, failed to uphold respect for Council decision making, and pre-empted proper announcements by staff. The complaint was dismissed since the Mayor’s posts did not breach the Code of Conduct. The Mayor’s Statement 0O 8FEOFTEBZ +VMZ .BZPS -BKPJF addressed the Integrity Commissioner’s Report on her Facebook account. Regarding the first part of the complaint, she states she will pursue education in local governance through Dalhousie University, as well as training through Leadership Féminin Prescott-Russell’s CAPP program. “This commitment to continuous impro- vement reflects my dedication to serving Casselman with excellence,” she wrote in the statement. Lajoie adds that during the closed session on May 7, the councillor in question stood VQBOESBJTFEUIFJSWPJDFBUIFS&WFOXJUI repeated and calm requests for them to stop, the behavior continued, according to Lajoie. i8IJMFUIFDPVODJMNBZOPUIBWFQFSDFJWFE
Mayor Lajoie to pursue education in local governance following an Integrity Commissioner’s report found the Casselman mayor violated the municipal Code of Conduct and failed to follow proper council meeting procedures. Due to the cancellation of Casselman’s Council meeting on July 9, the Integrity Commis- sioner’s report was not presented by was still made public along with the agenda of the day. The report states that on May 22, 2024, the Integrity Commissioner received a complaint against Mayor Lajoie which was made in two parts. The first part of the complaint stated that Mayor Lajoie violated the Code of Conduct during a closed session of Council held on May 7 where she insinuated wrongdoing on the part of a fellow member of Council. The member of Council attempted to correct the record and asked that the mayor retract her statement, Mayor Lajoie instead ejected the Member from the meeting. The report states that Section 5 of the Code of Conduct was breached when she “failed to follow proper procedures”, but not for the comments made. Although the Lajoie’s actions breached the Code, the report states that it was not done in a way that was motivated by malice and that she made “commendable efforts to fulfill her role and abide by all requirements of the Code and the Act.” The report indicates that the root of the inci- dent is a lack of knowledge of procedure, which also appears repeatedly in other examples provided in the investigation.
La mairesse Lajoie a publié une réponse suite aux conclusions du rapport du commissaire à l’intégrité concernant sa violation du code de conduite et invite les résidents à se rendre à l’hôtel de ville de la municipalité de Casselman le mercredi 24 juillet à 18 heures pour donner au public l’occasion de poser des questions, d’exprimer ses préoccupations et de dialoguer directement avec elle. (Photo d’archives) Mayor Lajoie had plans to contest the findings but decided against it since she would have to hire a lawyer and did not want to “waste any more taxpayer money to pursue this complaint.” “At the end of the day, I know what happened and know that this councillor standing up and shouting at me was not, and never will be acceptable, especially in this day and time. I expect more from council than for them to lose their temper because they misunderstood something I said. I will continue to hold high standard of both myself and our council. Our community deserves nothing less,” she stated in an email exchange with The Reflet.
ÉLECTION PARTIELLE 2024 BY-ELECTION Loi de 1996 sur les élections municipales (art. 40) / Municipal Elections Act, 1996 (s.40)
PAR TÉLÉPHONE OU INTERNET
BY TELEPHONE OR INTERNET
AVIS D’INFORMATION SUR L’ ÉLECTION PARTIELLE Élection municipale partielle dans le canton de Russell pour le poste de: CONSEILLER (1)
NOTICE OF BY-ELECTION INFORMATION Municipal By-Election in the Township of Russell for the office of: COUNCILLOR (1)
CANDIDATURES: Les candidatures pour le poste seront acceptées par la greffière par rendez-vous seulement en tout temps lors des heures normales de bureau à compter du 25 juin jusqu’au 15 août 2024 et entre 9 h et 14 h le 16 août 2024 (Jour de la déclaration de candidature). Afin de poser sa candidature, la déclaration de candidature (formulaire 1) doit être déposée au bureau de la greffière et être accompagnée des droits de 100$. Ces droits peuvent être acquittés en espèces, par chèque certifié, mandat payable ou par un mode de paiement électronique que précise la greffière. Les candidats seront tenus de présenter une pièce d’identité. Seuls les formulaires originaux signés seront acceptés en personne par le candidat ou par l’intermédiaire de son représentant. La déclaration de candidature doit être accompagnée de 25 signatures d’appui de la part d’électeurs admissibles (formulaire 2). Si le nombre de déclarations de candidature qui ont été déposées à l’égard d’un poste et certifiées par la greffière est inférieur au nombre de personnes devant être élues à ce poste, des déclarations de candidature additionnelles peuvent être déposées entre 9 h et 14 h le mercredi 21 août 2024 auprès de la greffière. Durée du mandat : 15 octobre 2024 au 14 novembre 2026. PÉRIODE DE SCRUTIN: Vous pouvez voter en tout temps en utilisant le TÉLÉPHONE ou l’INTERNET à compter de 9 h le jeudi 26 septembre 2024 jusqu’à 20 h le lundi 30 septembre 2024. MODE DE SCRUTIN: Vous pouvez voter pendant la période de scrutin en utilisant l’Internet n’importe où dans le monde. Vous pouvez également utiliser le téléphone et vous brancher au système de vote sans frais n’importe où en Amérique du Nord. Le numéro sans frais et le site Internet seront fournis dans une lettre d’information de l’électeur par la poste adressée aux électeurs admissibles pendant la semaine du 16 septembre 2024. VOTE PAR MANDANTAIRE: Puisque le but d’un mode de scrutin de remplacement, en l’occurrence le vote par téléphone et par Internet, est de permettre aux électeurs de voter depuis leur domicile, où de l’endroit de leur choix, et d’offrir une période de votation prolongée, le vote par mandataire n’est plus nécessaire. LISTE ÉLECTORALE: Afin de savoir si vous êtes inscrit sur la liste électorale ou pour effectuer des changements, communiquer avec le service de la greffe au 613-443-3066 ou par courriel au elections@russell.ca le plus tôt possible. Pour plus d'informations sur l'élection municipale partielle de 2024, visitez notre site Web ou contactez le bureau de la greffe.
NOMINATIONS: Nominations for the position will be received by the Clerk by appointment only at any time during normal office hours between June 25 to August 15, 2024 and between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on August 16, 2024 (Nomination Day). A nomination is made by completing and filing in the office of the Clerk a prescribed nomination form (Form 1) and accompanied by a filing fee of $100.00. The filing fee is payable by cash, certified cheque, money order or electronic payment if specified by the Clerk. Candidates will be required to provide proof of identity. Only forms with original signatures filed in person by the candidate or by an agent will be accepted. Nominations papers are to be accompanied by 25 endorsement signatures from eligible electors (Form 2). In the event there are an insufficient number of certified candidates to fill all positions available, nominations will be reopened for the vacant position only on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 pm and such additional nominations, if required, may be filed with the office of the Clerk. The term of office: October 15, 2024 and end on November 14, 2026. VOTING PERIOD: You may vote at any time by TELEPHONE or INTERNET from 9:00 a.m. on Thursday September 26, 2024 until 8:00 p.m. on Monday, September 30, 2024. VOTING METHOD: You can vote during the election voting period using the Internet from anywhere in the world. You can also use a telephone service and connect to the voting system toll free from anywhere in North America. The toll free number and the Internet site will be provided in a Voter Information Letter by mail addressed to qualified electors in the week of September 16, 2024. VOTING PROXIES: Since the purpose for the use of the alternative voting, being telephone and internet voting, is to allow electors to vote from their home or from wherever they wish, and to offer a longer voting time period, the voting proxies are not applicable and no longer necessary. VOTERS LIST: To know if you are on the Voting List or to make changes to the Voting List contact the Clerk’s department at 613 -443-3066 or by email at elections@russell.ca, as soon as possible.
For more information on the 2024 Municipal By- Election visit our Website or contact the Clerk’s office.
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