Chapleau's Integrity Commissioner has found a councillor violated conflict of interest rules - and will turn to a judge for a ruling.
The report presented to Council during Monday's meeting focuses on allegations Councillor Rick Smith contravened the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act by participating in Council decisions about last year's Drag Races.
The report finds he did declare a pecuniary interest when it was first discussed in January 2019, with a written declaration noting Smith could be a vendor at the event through his business holdings.
According to the report, Smith contacted the Integrity Commissioner in late May to confirm whether there'd be a conflict if his business acted as a vendor or if the local Order of Odd Fellows - of which he's a member - participated as a service group, with the commissioner advising Smith he had a direct and indirect pecuniary interest whether or not he became a vendor, so he was "prohibited from influencing the decision [of Council] before, during, or after the deliberations" and should declare the conflict, but he could otherwise become a vendor, which he did.
Despite that, the report says Smith ended up participating in two Council decisions regarding the Drag Race - in May and September 2019 - and even advised the public and Council he'd been told he didn't have a conflict, something refuted by the Integrity Commissioner in October.
It concludes there was a conflict of interest during the May vote but the Commissioner could not "action" that because it was outside of the six-week complaint period, though it does plan to apply to a Superior Court judge to determine whether Smith contravened the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act in the September vote, and - if so - any penalty to be imposed.
The report does emphasize that the Act doesn't prevent councillors from having businesses like food vending or from joining service clubs, though it does prohibit those with such pecuniary interests from influencing Council decisions.
JJAM FM News reached out to Smith for comment on the report, though he's declined.