Pembroke council to revisit city contract with mayor's law firm

After delaying the discussion for months, city councillors in Pembroke, Ont.will finally revisit the city's decades-long contract with its city solicitor whose close ties to the mayor has raised eyebrows from both councillors and residents this past year.

The city's 21-year-old contract for legal services is with lawyer Robert Sheppard with Sheppard & Gervais, the same business Mayor Ron Gervais currently works at.

In April, council tabled Coun. Troy Purcell'smotion to review this contractand to put the city solicitor contract out for public tender.

During Tuesday night'scouncil meeting, Purcell put forward a notice of motion to bring this issue back for debate at the next council meetingDec. 19.

Purcell said his motion will ask for the legal services contract to go out for a competitive bids process, also known as an RFP (request for proposal).

Gervais has been an elected official on council for more than a decadeandserved as deputy mayor before becoming mayor last November. The city has been paying Sheppard & Gervais forlegal services throughout that time.

The city's chief administrative officer previously told CBC that its contract was with "Robert B. Sheppard (the person) andnot Sheppard &Gervais (the firm)."

Last week, CBC News published a story after it obtained invoices through freedom of information laws that show the city has been paying tens of thousands of dollars to Sheppard & Gervais, the business, every few monthsfor a total of $198,526 between January 2022 and March 2023.

Earlier this year, residents shared they were outraged to learn taxpayers were footing the city's legal bills to a local business with direct ties to the mayorand said theybelieved this was a conflict of interest.

On Tuesday, Gervais declared a pecuniary interest (meaning financial interest) for an agenda item during the finance committee, citing his ties to Sheppard who worked on the city's warming centre agreement. Sheppard helped prepare that legal document.

Gervais then removed himself from the discussion.

WATCH | Gervais declares financial interest:

Pembroke mayor declares financial interest involving law firm colleague

9 months ago

Duration 0:21

Mayor Ron Gervais declared a pecuinary interest, meaning financial interest, for an agenda item during Tuesday night's finance committee meeting, citing his ties to the city's solicitor Robert Sheppard with Sheppard & Gervais law firm.