CONFLICTED ABOUT A CONFLICT

At the August 7, 2008 meeting of Council, Mayor Fawcett was questioned about any potential business dealings with Highland Companies and whether she had a conflict of interest. Click the link for the minutes: http://melancthontownship.ca/08council/minutes.august7.pdf

In a nutshell, she determined, and probably rightly so, that she was NOT a sitting member of Council while a business deal with a family member occured with Highlands.

Okie, dokie, so "technically" - remember that word, you are going to need it when you piece all this together, technically she was NOT in conflict because she was not on Council at the time.

Recap: Ron Dillman opposed Debbie Fawcett in the 2006 municipal election and Ron won. Tragically Ron died in January of 2007, leaving a race for Mayor all over again, which to be fair, Debbie won.

At the September 9, 2010 meeting of Council, Mayor Fawcett not only announced that she was not going to run again for Council, but the reason she was not running, was...she has a conflict of interest with respect to the Highland Companies and she wanted a Mayor sitting at the table who did not have to declare whenever the Highlands issue reared its ugly snout (okay, okay, so I paraphrased the "ugly snout" comment).

Why is the Mayor NOW saying she has a conflict? She explained that because Highlands has purchased the property (or several properties) directly across the road from her she now has a conflict. I am still not convinced that this means she has a conflict of interest as defined in the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, but the Act is very specific that it is up to each municipal councillor to make their own determination and their own declaration. If I feel she is in contravention of the Act, I personally would have to bring a court action, within six weeks of learning of what I feel is a conflict and have a judge make that determination.

So why am I conflicted about this "conflict". Well because there is a technical conflict and then there is the perceived conflict. I personally feel the sale of land by a family member of the Mayor to Highlands in 2007 is MORE of a perceived conflict than living across the road.

Hell, if anyone in proximity to Highlands had to declare a conflict, that would make almost every single ratepayer in Melancthon between Shelburne, Hwy 24, Hwy 10 and Badjeros in a conflict.

Check tomorrow for a list of who NOW declares a conflict as it relates to Highlands and who SHOULD, in my esteemed opinion be declaring a conflict and don't.