Norfolk council 'willing to overlook' ethical standards in its 1st year: report

Norfolk County's integrity commissioner has lambasted council for being "willing to overlook" ethical standards during its first year inoffice, citing staff departures that CBC News has learned have contributed to $672,940.43 in severance payouts.

The mayor, meanwhile, calls the report "personal conjecture."

John MascarinofAird & Berlis LLPsaid in a new report that"confrontation came early and often" for the mostly rookie council. He also said the "massiveturnover" insenior staff has resulted in "aloss of institutional knowledge and administrative skill [that] cannot be understated."

"Good governance is not simply about maintaining tax rates," Mascarin wrote in the report, which council will discuss at a meeting Tuesday. "It is not only about fiscal responsibility. It is not only about providing services. Good governance is about 'working together'as a team to serve the public interest. Isn't that part of the county's slogan?

"Good governance also entails adherence to and respect for established ethical codes and standards something this council was willing to overlook during its first term of office."

Mayor Kristal Choppsays she's "baffled" by the report, which was done at "an hourly rate of $800, and a time when we just had to lay off 145 staff." She also doesn't agree with his assessment of council's ethics.

"I am proud of this council," she said in an email Saturday.

"They have had to make some really hard decisions in order to put a county that was completely mismanaged and left in a perilous financial position back on track, regardless of whether or not those decisions were popular or get them elected again."

Mascarinfirst clashed with the nine-member council of which all but two were new in early 2019. Chopp, unhappy with a staff planning report about backyard chickens, ripped up the report during the meeting and said it would be "a long four years if the wishes of council are not respected."

Mascarinordered Choppto apologize, which she did on Facebook"seven minutes before midnight" on the deadline day, Mascarin said in the new report. Councilvoted to cover Chopp's fine of about $3,000.

Council also voted to change its integrity commissioner rules so Mascarincouldn't impose penalties, and so he would have to tell them the names of complainants. Mascarin'snew report says they shouldreconsider both of those points.

Choppdisagrees withthat assessment too.

"Certainly there needs to be a process for checking elected officials," she said, "but when the system is being exploited for political agendas, the first check needs to be with council."

Mascarin's report mentions numerous staff departures last year. That includedthree CAOs, although twowereinterim. Council hired Jason Burgess, a Niagara-based consultant, to the role earlier this year.Turnover also happened in the roles of fire chief, county solicitor, and heads of finance, public works, human resources and planning, among others.

A Freedom of Information Act requestshows Norfolk spent$672,940.43 on staff severancesfrom January 2019 to February 2020.

Mascarin said he is "wary of efforts to weaponize" the authority of his office.

"Having said that," he concluded, "we are mindful that the public has a right to make inquiries and to file requests for investigation if they believe that ethical breaches have occurred, which no amount of social media noise and spin can eradicate.

"Council should not be permitted to operate from the basis of 'what need we fear who knows it when none can call our power to account.'"

The agenda Tuesday will also include a March letter from the Ontario Ombudsman, which says the office is investigating whether council held improper closed-door discussions on Jan. 28.

That's the day council, faced with deep budget cuts, voted to closetwomuseums, offeritsart gallery and Lynnwood national heritage site to a volunteer board, closethe Simcoe Seniors Centre and relocateits members to the nearby recreation centre. It also voted tocloseat least one arena and cut $210,000 from the tourism and economic development budget.

Chopp said council followed staff advice that day.

"Council followed the direction and recommendations of our seasoned clerk as to which items discussed during last year's budget deliberations should be held in open and closed session."