By Cecilia Nasmith
Cobourg's Deputy Mayor Suzanne Seguin will be consulting the Integrity Commissioner to determine what is to be done in the case of two councillors who spoke at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario convention without authorization from council.
“As co-ordinator of General Government, I want to ask our Integrity Commissioner if two members of this council have the authority to make a presentation to an Ontario ministry at AMO in Ottawa on Aug. 15 without the support of a motion from council,” Seguin said, referring to Councillors Emily Chorley and Nicole Beatty – the latter of whom is challenging Seguin for the Deputy Mayor's seat in the coming election. Chorley, meanwhile, has announced she will not run for re-election.
While Cobourg council had recently authorized a presentation on homelessness to Northumberland County council, Seguin said, council was neither informed such a presentation would be made at AMO nor enlightened in advance as to the content of that presentation.
She quoted section 223.49 of the Municipal Act, which governs the actions of councillors in regular election years during the period between when nominations begin to be accepted and Voting Day.
“I brought this up because, in all my years at council, I have always expected members of council to come to their council for permission to present at AMO, and that didn't happen in this case,” she stated.
