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SARNIA – A city councillor who was expelled by his political colleagues for poor behaviour has been allowed to return to debates after submitting a written apology, though his rift with the mayor appears only to have deepened.
Coun. Bill Dennis took part in Monday night’s Sarnia city council debate following the submitted apology, roughly three weeks after he was booted from Nov. 26 budget deliberations after a tirade – and that following several prior clashes with fellow council members and city staff.
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“I sincerely apologize and express regret for any disappointment or distress my recent actions may have caused,” the apology reads. “It was not my intention to make my profound frustration personal.
“I am grateful to those who offered unwavering support, and want to extend a heartfelt apology to the citizens who elected me.”
Dennis was seeking details on the amount Sarnia city hall spends on consultants during the Nov. 26 debate when he criticized city staff and then appeared to go after his council colleagues, calling a group “a joke” and “nothing but a bunch of sellouts.”
Bradley interjected, calling Dennis’s conduct unacceptable to which Dennis replied with insults and added: “F— off.”
Before Monday’s debate began, Bradley fired a broadside at the apology submitted by Dennis
“The apology received by council was not an apology,” Bradley said, noting it didn’t withdraw the comments or apologize to the people Dennis targeted by the comments.
Bradley said he considered postponing Monday’s meeting but instead allowed Dennis to rejoin and to proceed because of the amount of “positive city business on the agenda,” including approvals for new housing.
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Going forward “there will be zero tolerance for any comments about other individuals that are not appropriate,” Bradley said, noting that means following council’s code of conduct and rules of order.
“I’m disappointed I have to do that, but that’s the reality of what we’re dealing with,” Bradley said.
There was no further discussion about the apology during the meeting. Sarnia city council hasn’t met in person since May due to what Bradley has said are “complaints from the public, councillors and staff about their safety in the workplace.” All meetings, including the one on Monday, are held online.
Dennis, who plans to run for mayor in 2026, filed in late October a $200,000 civil lawsuit against Sarnia city hall and its top bureaucrat.
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