An Essex Town Councillor could face 30 days without pay for comments made against E.L.K. Energy Inc. (E.L.K.)
Mayor Larry Snively engaged Integrity Commissioner Robert Swayze on April 23 about comments and posts on social media by Ward 4 Councillor Sherry Bondy.
According to the document going before council Monday, Snively alleges, "Councillor Bondy was publicly and continuously harassing the staff at E.L.K. by posting negative comments about them on social media and recording a video in front of the company's premises."
"This is in my opinion politically motivated by the mayor to undermine me in public," says Bondy.
Swayze's ruling says a letter was sent to Bondy on November 19, 2019, "advising her ... she was in breach of her legal duties and obligations as a director."
He says Bondy responded by resigning from the board and then, "continued publicly harassing staff."
Swayze goes on to say he found a cartoon posted to social media showing what looked like an electrical staff member being led to the gallows to be hanged troubling.
Bondy says the post was not directed towards workers at utility company.
"I would never do anything like that. If you look at that meme ... somebody sent it to me and said 'this reminds me of you on council being a visionary' it's not any employee group under council," she says. "I think that's a really big stretch."
Swayze concluded: Bondy has the right to scrutinize staff in closed session — but by taking her issues to social media — she violated The Code of Conduct for Members of Council and Local Boards and Committees.
Bondy says criticizing issues with a service in her ward shouldn't constitute harassment.
"People are complaining to me about it and I'm suggesting on social media that people should call their utility provider," she says. "I guess that's something the E.L.K. staff are not okay with."
Bondy says council chambers have been tense since the term began.
She says it's a direct response to Mayor Snively being charged with procuring persons to vote in a municipal election when those persons were not entitled to do so.
"We have a charge against our mayor and I was the whistle blower," she says. "I have not been treated fairly and I have targeted because I raised concerns about what happened in the 2018 [Municipal] Election."
According to the ruling, Swayze could have withheld 90 days pay under the maximum penalty. He says 30 days was agreed upon under the condition the behaviour included in the ruling stops or the full penalty would be implemented.
Bondy says she's not concerned with lost wages from the town as she didn't "enter politics for the money" and she will respect the decision handed down by Swayze if council approves the recommendation Monday night at 6 p.m.
The full ruling is posted with Monday's council agenda on the town's website.
— with files from AM800's Rob Hindi.