Town of Innisfil integrity commissioner John Mascarin paid an unexpected visit to council on Wednesday evening, not because anything was wrong, but because everything was fine.
The integrity commissioner’s office was called in last year after a complainant alleged that Coun. Kevin Eisses had a conflict regarding a council decision over parking on Thomas Street.
Later, the same complainant filed a similar allegation against Mayor Lynn Dollin, accusing her of a “backroom deal.”
“Our investigation found no contraventions whatsoever,” said Mascarin. “We found no evidence of that.”
The investigation concluded that council had voted on a routine recommendation from staff.
Mascarin noted that the complainant actually withdrew his allegations after speaking with the mayor, satisfied by her explanation of the decision-making process.
However, Mascarin said, “we decided it was important to write this report," especially since the complainant had aired his allegations in the media.
The investigation and report, which was released in December, were completed by Meaghan Barrett, of the law firm Aird & Berlis, and peer-reviewed by Mascarin.
Mascarin explained he had come to council this week in part to emphasize publicly that the investigation had found no evidence of wrongdoing as a response to the public accusations in the media, but also to give councillors an opportunity to ask questions.
He noted that changes to the Municipal Act now allow those accused of wrongdoing or conflict to speak in their own defense, which was why Dollin was allowed to remain in her chair for the presentation.
But it was a different story in 2018, when then-mayor Gord Wauchope and councillors Doug Lougheed and Bill Loughead were investigated for alleged breaches of the town's code of conduct. At that time, the rules prevented the accused council members from speaking on their own behalf.
Coun. Alex Waters thanked Mascarin for the information.
“I think it’s important for the public to see an unbiased report was done,” he said.
The integrity commissioner was also thanked by Dollin.
“We hope we don’t see you again soon. Please don’t be offended by that," the mayor said.
