Sarnia metropolis council hasn’t met in-person for eight months amid conflicts involving one politician. Can an answer be discovered?
Printed Jan 13, 2025 • Final up to date Jan 13, 2025 • 7 minute learn
Sarnia metropolis councillor Invoice Dennis speaks throughout a conflict that led to council abruptly ending its assembly on March 11, 2024. (Screengrab/ YourTV Sarnia)
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It’s been greater than eight months since Sarnia metropolis council held an in-person assembly – all their debates going digital amid a office security probe following conflicts involving one politician, Coun. Invoice Dennis, all of it additional sophisticated by his ongoing lawsuit in opposition to Sarnia metropolis corridor. It’s a drawn-out scenario one professional believes is “unprecedented” and reporter Tyler Kula examines what’s taking place, and what’s forward, for arguably probably the most tense metropolis authorities in Ontario.
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BLOW-UPS: THE BACKGROUND
Invoice Dennis is in his second time period on Sarnia metropolis council, and his conflicts with Mayor Mike Bradley – holding the highest political job since 1988 – are not any secret.
However Dennis’s conduct has run afoul of various integrity commissioners a number of occasions, and he’s been discovered to have violated metropolis council’s code of conduct 5 occasions – with a sixth occasion probably looming.
Arguably the highest-profile conflict was within the fall of 2023, when Bradley minimize brief a council assembly. Dennis lashed out after a metropolis environmental committee’s spokesperson argued in favour of carbon taxation. Dennis criticized the group and in the end fired a number of insults at Bradley.
“Thank God there’s not term limits because what the heck would you have done?” Dennis stated to Bradley earlier than calling the remainder of council “left of Mao.”
Bradley stated Dennis’s remarks have been “destroying the chemistry of this council and this chamber” earlier than the plug was pulled on the assembly.
After that assembly, Dennis was recorded yelling “f— off” to a citizen in Sarnia metropolis corridor’s foyer, main council to vote to dock Dennis’s pay for breaching their code of conduct.
Dennis later apologized to council, Bradley, members of the general public and metropolis workers.
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A debate in March was minimize brief, too, after Dennis reacted as his colleagues have been set to debate elevated safety within the council chambers. Dennis stated some council colleagues have been making his October outburst “sound like January 6,” referencing the Capitol riots in Washington, D.C. He additionally referred to as council colleagues “clowns” and alleged slander.
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In March, he favored a citizen Fb submit calling for a few of his political colleagues to be lynched. He later stated in an interview: “I don’t condone that whatsoever.”
Metropolis council’s final reside assembly was Could 6. However the tensions haven’t died down.
Dennis in October was reprimanded and docked pay for violating council’s code of conduct in social media posts which might be additionally the topic of one other lawsuit, introduced in opposition to Dennis by the native Youngsters’s Help Society boss. Dennis has filed a $200,000 countersuit alleging, amongst different issues, that claiming his social media posts are defamatory is a violation of his rights below the Constitution of Rights and Freedoms. Not one of the claims has been examined in courtroom.
And through a Nov. 26 digital metropolis council assembly he was expelled after yelling, swearing at and insulting the mayor and Coun. Adam Kilner.
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Dennis apologized when council subsequent met just about in mid-December.
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Dennis, who says he plans to run for mayor in 2026, has persistently defended what he calls his passionate manner.
“I have very high expectations for myself and I expect others to have the same dedication and work ethic as me,” he stated in a latest interview. “I realize that’s not always going to be the case, but I feel like sometimes I’m on a ship of fools and I just – it frustrates the hell out of me.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
It’s been greater than eight months since Sarnia metropolis politicians sat in the identical room for a debate. And the mayor says there’s no date for a return to in-person conferences amid a office security investigation that not too long ago wrapped up.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley in council chambers Could 6, 2024. (Tyler Kula/ The Observer)
It’s unclear if its outcomes will probably be launched publicly, Bradley stated.
The probe was sparked by “complaints from the public, councillors and staff about their safety in the workplace,” Bradley stated in a December interview. “Those are very serious issues, so we’re making sure we go through them right.”
Digital conferences have been the norm throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and since then it was at all times an choice for council members who couldn’t attend reside. However all digital, on a regular basis is taking a toll, Bradley stated.
“It’s not the easiest to chair and you’ve got to always be looking and trying to see the hands (raised virtually),” he stated. “I’ve certainly made mistakes doing it. But the majority of council has been very co-operative about it. We’re navigating our way through the situation.”
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THE LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY HALL
On Oct. 31, Dennis took the uncommon step of submitting a lawsuit that names metropolis corridor and metropolis corridor’s high bureaucrat, CAO Chris Carter.
The $200,000 lawsuit alleges Carter is “trying to render (Dennis) ineffective” by limiting Dennis’s communication with metropolis workers, and “stonewalling” Dennis’s makes an attempt to get solutions for residents who contact him with questions.
A metropolis corridor spokesperson has declined touch upon the continued authorized matter.
The allegations in Dennis’s assertion of declare haven’t been examined in courtroom. The town and Carter filed notices saying they intend to file statements of defence.
Sarnia Coun. Invoice Dennis (Paul Morden/ Ontario Chronicle)
Dennis, in his assertion of declare, lists a number of occasions he’s critiqued metropolis workers publicly, which he alleges led Carter on Could 9 to inform Dennis in an e-mail Dennis might not talk with different metropolis workers.
The lawsuit’s political issues are apparent. As Bradley says: “We’re trying to navigate our way through, what does that mean? And how do you deal with someone who is suing you?”
Within the spring, Dennis acknowledged he was the topic of a office harassment criticism at metropolis corridor, linked to a dispute with Carter over Dennis’s method to bringing citizen issues to workers. He stated he was criticizing workers in Could over a particular growth plan and reducing off his communication with workers, Dennis stated, was retaliatory.
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Dennis has not participated in interviews for the office investigation as a result of he’s not a metropolis worker, and has “litigation privilege” in reference to different lawsuits, that means you “cannot be compelled by anyone to speak about what you’re going to say or your strategy in saying it until you say it,” his authorized consultant, Matthew C. Olson, stated in November.
I really feel like generally I am on a ship of fools and I simply – it frustrates the hell out of me.
Counc. Invoice Dennis
Dennis, in the meantime, stated in a December interview he thinks the end result of the investigation is “predetermined” and that criticizing workers missteps is a part of his job as a councillor. “Ultimately it’s going to come down to a judge deciding this whole thing.”
Bradley stated final week the investigation has wrapped up.
POLITICAL DISRUPTION: AN EXPERT WEIGHS IN
Martin Horak is a political science professor at Western College the place he teaches in its native authorities program. He says he’s by no means earlier than heard of a scenario like Sarnia’s – with three-quarters of a calendar 12 months passing with out native politicians sitting down collectively for a public debate.
“It’s pretty unusual to say the least,” he stated, noting it limits the sorts of political conversations that occur at in-person conferences to go coverage. “(It’s) an indication that there is something seriously wrong.”
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However clashes do occur. Municipal politics is mostly non-partisan and councillors don’t comply with a celebration construction, insurance policies or self-discipline, Horak stated.
We’re navigating our manner via the scenario.
Mayor Mike Bradley
Consequently, he stated, “there are sometimes councillors whose behaviour kind of crosses the ethical line or the code-of-conduct line.”
Disagreements between politicians and workers are nothing new, he provides, however “the problem seems to be . . . cropping up a little more in the last couple of years.”
In Pickering, for instance, metropolis council conferences as of this month have moved on-line as a consequence of threats from the general public, the Toronto-area metropolis’s mayor, Kevin Ashe, says.
Political discourse has “perhaps sharpened a bit” for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic, Horak stated. Wanting hitting politicians with pay suspensions – as of now, the best attainable penalty for code-of-conduct violations – there is no such thing as a resolution between elections.
“The argument being, of course, that these folks are elected and, if they’re not doing something that breaks the law and they haven’t been convicted, then ultimately it’s up to the voters to decide,” Horak stated.
A BIG CHANGE AFOOT?
Horak’s level in regards to the lack of everlasting punishments for dangerous behaviour is correct. However possibly not for lengthy.
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The Doug Ford authorities has launched a invoice that may enable for the creation of a regular code of conduct for all municipalities provincewide, with penalties of eradicating and disqualifying a member from workplace in the event that they’re in critical violation of the code.
However removing and disqualification might solely occur if the municipal integrity commissioner recommends it, if Ontario’s integrity commissioner agrees and if councillors aside from the member in query unanimously comply with it in a vote.
Paul Calandra, Ontario’s municipal affairs and housing minister. (Paul Morder/ Ontario Chronicle)
Paul Calandra is Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs. When he launched the invoice in December, he stated at a information convention that it’s “meant to be a very high bar” for turfing somebody from workplace.
“Ultimately, the people will decide in an election. I wanted to have a mechanism (for removal), though. I thought it was very important,” he stated. “I think we’ve hit a good balance that will allow councils to address the most egregious of challenges in their community, while respecting the voters of each community.”
Notably, even Bradley is lukewarm to the thought. “The thought of removing someone from office who’s been elected by the public would disturb me,” he stated. “But we should have the power to say, ‘Go away, correct your actions.’”
With information from Canadian Press
tkula
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Sarnia Coun. Invoice Dennis, left, and Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley (Postmedia file photographs)
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