A councillor in Thames Centre has apologized for violating the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.
In September of 2020, Chris Patterson did not recuse himself from a discussion on selling municipally owned land as part of a plan to build a “nationally franchised fast food restaurant” despite he and his wife owning a pizzeria and café not far from where the restaurant would have been located.
“Given the costs incurred by the municipality for this investigation, I’m voluntarily forgoing my council pay for the last eight months of this term,” Patterson said at a meeting on Monday night. “Please accept my sincerest apologies.”
The Section 5.1 of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act says:
Where a member, either on his or her own behalf or while acting for, by, with or through another, has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any matter and is present at a meeting of the council or local board at which the matter is the subject of consideration, the member,
(a) shall, prior to any consideration of the matter at the meeting, disclose the interest and the general nature thereof;
(b) shall not take part in the discussion of, or vote on any question in respect of the matter; and
(c) shall not attempt in any way whether before, during or after the meeting to influence the voting on any such question.
Integrity Commissioner Mark G. McDonald said Patterson violated those rules by not declaring a conflict of interest when the fast food franchise discussion occurred.
“It is my conclusion that Councillor Patterson had a pecuniary interest in the matter discussed and voted on in closed session on September 28th, 2020. It is found that Councillor Patterson did contravene the MCIA by not declaring a conflict of interest and completing a written statement of disclosure and by participating in the meeting.”
Patterson will be giving up roughly $10,418 in salary during the remainder of the term.
