Owen Sound council is passing a motion to request a study of being able to remove municipal councillors in instances of deplorable behaviour.
During a meeting on May 30, a motion was brought forward by Coun. John Tamming, which was previously mentioned on April 25.
The motion says there have been instances of hatred and misogyny across Ontario municipal councils, and the powers of the integrity commissioner do not include the ability to recommend expelling councillors.
The motion says with this realization, council will submit a request to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, as well as to the federal government, provincial government, Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), and all Ontario municipalities to study the merits of allowing the ability to recall councillors under certain circumstances which include displays of hate, misogyny and all forms of discrimination.
The motion also seeks to request the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing facilitate strengthened and ongoing orientation as well as training sessions for councils, local boards and committees.
“This was triggered by an area municipality which is going through some fairly difficult terrain along these lines,” says Tamming.
While Tamming did not explicitly say which municipality this was, Kincardine Coun. Dave Cuyler said an obscenity during an April 5 council meeting following an exchange with Coun. Laura Haight, about a motion brought forward concerning the Promenade on Queen Street event in downtown Kincardine.
Cuyler can be heard muttering “you’re a … c – – t” as the chair was simultaneously speaking to try and settle things and allow business to proceed at the meeting.
In response to the motion being presented, Coun. Scott Greig questioned what circumstances would qualify.
“Anytime you discuss removing elected officials, it should be done with significant deliberation. So if I could ask Coun. Tamming, what if a councillor had worn black face,” says Greig.
Tamming says he was not proposing going into what circumstances would qualify for appropriate conduct or not at that time. Instead, he was asking the idea of recall be examined by a committee.
“When councillors engage in over the top misogynist activity, the female, and it usually is the female, I read I think four examples at the last meeting of awful stuff that was said across Ontario. The female has to sit around the horseshoe with the councillors for another three or four years or the balance of the term, and that was my main concern is to protect the integrity of the legislative process,” says Tamming.
While Greig says he was shocked by the conduct of an Ottawa City councillor, who he did not name, and by the remarks allegedly stated by an area councillor, he does not agree with ongoing training for councillors.
“I think recalls are interesting and I do somewhat support that but they are expensive,” says Greig. “It can be very difficult to define the pure parameters of hatred, it becomes quite subjective and that is a lot of the body of the motion. I would certainly entertain the idea of a return to the three year election cycle. Perhaps four years is too long because the individuals get elected and you are stuck with them. Ultimately the public has the decision to make at election time. I am very hesitant to advocate the ability for some individuals to restrict others from the opportunity to run for an elected position,” says Greig.
In response, Tamming says he can’t think of anything more democratic than a recall as it requires signatures on a petition and a vote.
“I view it as a very democratic way of handling an outlier who might have gone rogue on city council,” says Tamming.