A city councillor is speaking out against allegations made in a lawsuit against the City of Windsor.
Ward 1 councillor Fred Francis is denying the allegations made in a Statement of Claim from the former Commissioner of Infrastructure Services, Chris Nepszy.
The claim states that "Councillor Angelo Marignani and Councillor Fred Francis asked Mr. Nepszy's department to waive parking violations for themselves and their friends and family."
It also states that Windsor councillor's regularly abused their positions of power to ask "favours" from Nepszy, and that Nepszy objected.
Speaking to CTV Windsor, Francis says many residents email him regarding parking infractions, and he forwards them to administration to review them.
"So sometimes administration will take a look at that and say 'yeah that seems a little bit weird, and we'll look at that, and we'll get back to the resident', and maybe they'll appeal the ticket, or maybe they won't. But I'll tell you, the vast majority of them administration can't do anything about it, but as a councillor I still have to go to administration and ask them."
He says the allegations of waiving tickets for himself, friends, or family, has never happened.
"It's never happened. I went through all my emails, they're right here, there's never been an instance where I have a family member, or a friend on here, or myself. I think off the top of my head in 10 years on council, I think I might have gotten two or three parking infraction tickets for whatever reason, I've always paid them. And again, anyone can go into the city's system and look if I paid them or not."
Francis says when accusations are made you start to second-guess yourself, and he started to question over the 10 years if something was misconstrued.
"I called parking enforcement, the person that all councillors go to on parking enforcement, and I said 'listen, be honest with me, in the 10 years that I've been here, and all emails I've sent you about parking infractions for residents, and in all the times we've talked about parking issues, or ticket issues for residents, have I ever done anything for myself, a family or a friend?'. And the reply I got back from them was 'never'."
Francis adds that he's always followed the recommendation of administration.
Nepszy and Shelby Askin-Hager, the commissioner of Legal and Legislative Services, were let go in November 2023 in what the city called 'a strategic realignment of its organizational structure.'
Mayor Drew Dilkens used strong mayor powers to remove the two individuals, which was granted by the province under the Municipal Act.
On AM800's The Morning Drive on Tuesday, mayor Dilkens called the wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed against the city as "absolute nonsense". Dilkens stated the city is going to deny all of the allegations, and they will have a very robust defence.
None of the allegations contained in the claim have been tested in court.
-with files from CTV Windsor's Sanjay Maru