Mayor’s Defence of Haldi Allegations Could be Covered by Taxpayers
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 @ 4:01 AM
Prince George- If the Haldi Road area residents proceed to court with the allegation Mayor Green has been in conflict in her voting on the Haldi Road School by law, they might find that they will be fighting their own tax money to have the matter heard.
Councillor Brian Skakun says, "it’s up to the courts to decide whether Mayor Green is in conflict or not", but he goes on to say that the matter of the City providing legal fees for any court challenge the Mayor could face would go before a closed council meeting.
Legal matters are not made public says Skakun, and so if the council decides to pay for any legal defence that the Mayor might mount, that information would not be made public.
"It is my understanding" Skakun says "that when you get one third of your salary from council tax free, that a portion of that should go to pay for any expenses that you are not paid for and any legal bills that you might run up. I do think the public should be able to see what we are spending money on."
Councillor Skakun had moved to have the fourth reading of the Leslie Rd property OCP amendment and rezoning bylaw postponed until June 10th to work its way out and to give Mayor Green ample opportunity to respond .
Skakun says the legal opinion provided by the lawyer representing the Haldi Rd residents was "very interesting and was well written".
As for the release of the information package submitted by the Haldi Rd residents to Council, Skakun argues that it should be made public ,"because the public should know as much as possible because this is a public interest matter."
Comments
Brian for mayor!
That’s a very generous perspective, Brian, and means of course that you would want the public to see how much it cost us to deal with you leaking confidential information and then lying about it right?
TORONTO – Mayor Rob Ford says he wonât ask the City of Toronto to cover his legal costs because those responsible for taking him to court should foot the bill.
âWhy would I have the taxpayers pay for it even though there is insurance?â Ford told the Toronto Sun Tuesday.
Fordâs lawyers are fighting to obtain $116,000 in court costs from resident Paul Magder â the man who launched an unsuccessful conflict-of-interest case against Ford.
Magderâs lawyer, Clayton Ruby, has argued his client shouldnât have to pay any costs, noting in court filings that Ford could ask the city to cover his legal bills.
âTaxpayers arenât going to pick up the bill for Mr. Magder or Mr. Ruby,â Ford said. âIâm sorry â they lost, they pay. The taxpayers shouldnât have to pay.â
Although city officials say the mayor can ask the city to cover his legal costs after winning the conflict-of-interest case that almost resulted in him being thrown out of office, a fired-up Ford was adamant he wonât come cap in hand to the city.
â(Magderâs lawyers) have the nerve to come out and say, âWell, the city has insurance. Why donât you go and get your money from the taxpayers?ââ Ford told Sun News Network host David âThe Menzoidâ Menzies. âThe last thing Iâm going to do is go to the taxpayers and say give me the $120,000.â
Bc racer, who paid his legal fees again? The city didnt pay it, but his union did ( without a vote on it) a paid a good portion along with others, Brian paid a small amount out of his own pocket. You spin the truth worse than the liberals.. Lol
I suggest that the City of Prince George immediately look into acquiring insurance to cover any legal bills it might incur when suing or when being sued and losing!
That would eliminate the necessity for council to vote on whether to fund this or not. All kinds of professions have Error and Omission insurance, like lawyers and real estate agents and so forth. It’s unbelievable that city officials don’t have that kind of insurance!
“Legal matters are not made public says Skakun, and so if the council decides to pay for any legal defence that the Mayor might mount, that information would not be made public.”
This seems wrong. It is understandable that the details of the City’s legal position and strategy would not be made public at the time, but I see no reason for secrecy about the city’s expenditures on legal matters.
PG City hall is a Kangaroo Court “all but one” and the “one is for ALL!”
Inegrity, Courage, Trust = Councillor Skakun
Bunch of patsy boys in this band of mis farts
“Inegrity, Courage, Trust = Councillor Skakun “
Lol. Isn’t Skakun the same guy who initially lied about leaking confidential info to the CBC then changed his mind later when faced with the evidence?
Hey guesswhat, please feel free to point out where I am defending Sheri Green. Or are you just trying to change the subject?
What a gong show!
Hey JohnyBelt, never said you were defending Green nor am I changing the subject….As you can see people make mistakes…and it comes down to costing us the taxpayers.
Hey guesswhat, it looks like your slanderous post was deleted.
Lol Was not slanderous. O250 is following suit with the other local media and not allowing other media sites/links on their blogs which is fair enough.
Prince George city have lawyers on retainers? Maybe they should have an office in city hall to save the air quality by not commuting.
TORONTO – Mayor Rob Ford isnât happy that heâll have to âswallowâ his court costs in his conflict of interest battle.
Ford called it âridiculousâ that heâs now on the hook for the more than $100,000 in court costs he shelled out fighting to keep his job. The mayor came out swinging Tuesday after the Divisional Court ruled he shouldnât get a penny out of Toronto resident Paul Magder for the legal battle that almost cost him the mayorâs chair.
While Magder won the case and a judge ordered Ford should be removed from office, the mayor won an appeal to the Divisional Court. After the three-judge panel ruled in his favour, Ford asked for $116,000 in costs from Magder.
The same three-judge panel ruled Tuesday that Magder raised ânovel legal issues with respect to matters of public importanceâ and that both sides should have to pay only their own legal costs.
Ford wasnât impressed with the latest decision. âIâve got to swallow over 100 grand plus heâs taking me to the Supreme Court â thatâs going to be 25 grand and win or lose at the Supreme Court I donât get my 25 grand back either. Itâs a lot of money,â Ford said.
Lawyer Clayton Ruby, who has been representing Magder pro bono, welcomed the courtâs decision. âThe Court would have given costs to Mayor Ford, as the law usually requires, were it not for Fordâs impropriety in voting on an issue before city council that concerned his pecuniary interest and Fordâs âwilful blindness,ââ Ruby stated in a press release. âIn the end, he lost three issues out of four.
WINNIPEG – Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz is to find out later this week whether he will be removed from office for holding a taxpayer-funded Christmas party at his own restaurant.
Katz is not the first mayor to face legal trouble over a conflict-of- interest accusation.
Last October, an Ontario Superior Court justice ordered Toronto Mayor Rob Ford out of office for taking part in a council vote on whether he should repay $3,150 raised for his private football foundation.
Ford appealed and the ruling was overturned.
If Keyser rules that Katz knowingly broke the law, the mandatory penalty is dismissal from office. If she finds Katz broke the law inadvertently, Katz will not be ousted but he may be ordered to repay the money.
Government of BC community charter
“Conflict of Interest Section 100 (disclosure of conflict) of the Community Charter requires a council member to declare a conflict of interest if he or she has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in a matter under consideration. A member must also declare a conflict if he or she has some other, non-pecuniary type of interest that places the person in a conflict position (e.g., bias). This could include any benefit obtained by relations, close friends, or associates of a member who is in conflict. Examples may include a rezoning application by a relative or close personal friend or a business license decision involving a competitor business to one operated by a close friend. The facts of each situation will be unique and will need to be considered when determining if a member is in a non-pecuniary conflict of interest situation.”
From what I understood by her remarks last night is she did get an opinion on Marshall Smith but she did say that he is only a community acquaintance and not an actual friend so she did not need to get an opinion on that relationship.
Because people typically just find random “community acquaintances” to help them campaign when they are running for mayor and they also write letters of personal support to MLA’s on behalf of every or any Tom, Dick and Jane in the city. Yes, but of course. You are the fools who don’t understand the situation.
What an absolute sham. The people of PG should fight this to the highest level possible. This council is turning your city into a circus. The only thing missing is the lion tamer and the dancing monkey.
NMG….and you thought Ottawa’s mayor was a show. Our little town just craves big city BS. Go Sens.
The crime capital of Canada must have some crime in the local government.
Mayor Green missed the whole point AGAIN! She failed to comment of the known facts and this will bite her. This was her statement.
Mayor Shari Green repeated the notice she had read at the beginning of the new application âPrior to 1st and second reading I made the following statement, Iâll make it again tonight. When this last came before Council I declared a perceived conflict of interest due to a personal connection I had to an employee of the applicant. That employment no longer exists. In order to undeclare, I am required to seek legal advice, which I have done and can confirm because of the facts which have changed, as I indicated, I will participate fully in this discussion.â So that was articulated prior to first and second reading those facts remain the same today and I will be participating fully in this final reading vote. The only relationship I have to any of the applicants in this matter, is that of community acquaintance. Like I have with hundreds of people Iâve met throughout our City in my time in local government. I am not in conflict on this matter, and I will be voting on it.â
The accusation is not with Smith any longer, it is with Brian Fehr. She should have read the opinion from Lawyer John Alexander with more detail.
Mayor Green is making a mockery out of our City and our legal system.
57Chevy, I just read the Citizen from yesterday and it says “The conflict of interest issue stems from the first time the recovery centre matter was brought before council, when Green said she had developed a personal friendship with someone who was an employee of the applicant”
You are correct, this is NOT the conflict that was eluded to and to which she, and maybe the rest of council is thinking.
“NMG….and you thought Ottawa’s mayor was a show. Our little town just craves big city BS. Go Sens”
LOL. Ottawa is definitely a few steps up in the political game from the days of Kinsley and Rogers. This current PG crew, however, is something else altogether. I honestly don’t understand how there hasn’t been an outright rebellion from the people of PG given the way these people are governing. It’s absolutely ridiculous!
Looking forward to some playoff hockey from what could be one of the best managed businesses I’ve ever supported. Go Sens!
RECOMMENDATION(S):
1. That the special meeting of City Council scheduled for April 25, 2013 at 11:45 a.m. be
closed to the public to permit discussion of items relating to:
ï· litigation or potential litigation affecting the municipality, pursuant to subsection
90(1)(g) of the Community Charter.
So has mayor and council finally woke up??
No, the mayor has not woken up. There are a number of cases going to court. There always are and always will be…….
Posted by: guesswhat on April 24 2013 9:39 PM
No, the mayor has not woken up. There are a number of cases going to court. There always are and always will be…….
yes mam. You know everything.
Comments for this article are closed.