Wasaga councillor deserves pay cut for comments: integrity commissioner

Joe Belanger

By Ian Adams Wasaga Sun

A Wasaga Beach councillor should lose his pay for 10 days for violating council’s code of conduct, says the town’s integrity commissioner.

Principles Integrity made that recommendation after an investigation into the conduct of both Coun. Joe Belanger and Mayor Nina Bifolchi. The recommendation will now go to council, which has the ability to accept it, or institute other sanctions as it feels appropriate.

The integrity commissioner dismissed all complaints against the mayor, while citing the councillor for a number of violations. The complaints were filed by members of the public, as well as by Belanger and Bifolchi against each other. CAO George Vadeboncoeur had also filed a complaint against Belanger.

The report was to be discussed during the April 18 committee-of-the-whole meeting with Janice Atwood-Petkovski of Principles Integrity.

The complaints against Belanger include comments he had made that Bifolchi and another councillor could potentially be in conflict when it came to the casino site, in an effort to push the issue the casino should be at the beachfront.

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