Councillor Alysson Storey has been formally reprimanded for breaching Chatham-Kent’s code of conduct but will not face a suspension of pay.
Council voted 7-7 on a recommendation from the Integrity Commissioner to dock Storey’s pay for 10 days, defeating the sanction. A separate recommendation for a formal reprimand passed 10-4, and councillors agreed to take part in code of conduct training at a later date.
The Integrity Commissioner’s report cited two complaints, saying Storey violated rules 14 and 15 of the code. It said she made disparaging comments at a Dresden town hall in October 2024 and at a subsequent council meeting, undermining administration and the community hub process. It also pointed to further misconduct related to the proposed new Town Hall and Civic Centre, including social media posts.
Commissioner Suzanne Craig wrote that the sanctions were intended “to reinforce standards of decorum, professionalism, and public accountability while supporting the respondents in continuing to fulfill their elected responsibilities in a respectful and constructive manner.”
Storey apologized but rejected the findings.
“I worry that this is an attempt to silence those who are asking legitimate questions about a proposal,” she said.
She added that she supported additional training but questioned the process.
“With this anonymous approach, it’s really tricky to defend yourself when there appears to be a deliberate attempt by certain individuals who have a key interest in seeing this proposal move forward and that this process has been abused by that person or persons in a deliberate attempt to silence me,” Storey added.
Councillor Rhonda Jubenville, who was also named in the report, was not found to be in breach of the code of conduct by the Integrity Commissioner.
Read the full report, here.
