A North Kent Councillor will have her pay suspended for three months, after Municipality of Chatham-Kent Council approved a recommendation made by Chatham-Kent’s Integrity Commissioner at their meeting on Monday, August 14, 2023.
A Municipal staff report indicates Mary-Ellen Bench, the appointed Integrity Commissioner for Chatham-Kent, responded to various complaints about social media posts and related behaviour of Councillor Rhonda Jubenville during the period of April to June, 2023.
Bench prepared a 47-page report following the investigation, which stemmed from the complaints.
You can read the full report, here.
Bench recommended that Councillor Jubenville’s remuneration be suspended for a period of three months.
During the Council meeting on Monday, Chatham Councillor Marjorie Crew entered a successful motion to accept the Integrity Commissioner’s recommendation.
Crew added in her motion that the 90 days cover the pay periods commencing September 1, 2023 and consecutively through October and November, 2023 until the 90 days are complete.
The motion passed by a vote of 13-3.
Councillors Crew, Brock McGregor, Amy Finn, Alysson Storey, Conor Allin, Carmen McGregor, Aaron Hall, Jamie McGrail, Steve Pinsonneault, John Wright, Trevor Thompson, Anthony Ceccacci and Mayor Darrin Canniff all voted in favour of the motion.
Councillors Lauren Anderson, Ryan Doyle and Michael Bondy voted against the motion.
Councillor Melissa Harrigan did not vote, as she remains on a leave of absence.
Councillor Jubenville also did not vote, as Chatham-Kent’s Code of Conduct states a Councillor who is the subject of an Integrity Commissioner report is not permitted to vote on any question in respect of the matter, a staff report indicates.
The staff report stated to date, the Integrity Commissioner has invoiced approximately $13,300 to the Municipality regarding this complaint.
“Suspending a councillor’s remuneration for a three-month period equates to $8,515,” Judy Smith, director of Municipal Governance/Clerk, said in her report.
The full staff report can be read, here.
