Stouffville councillor defends ‘smart-ass’ remark

YorkRegion.com
June 2, 2015
Ali Raza

Put away the soap, Stouffville, there are no mouths to be washed here, says the man responsible for uttering “the phrase”.

Councillor Maurice Smith has defended his use of words during a town council meeting  May 17.

In a statement written on May 29, Smith explained his position regarding the incident where he was accused of swearing at Mayor Justin Altmann during a brief altercation.

Smith explains that on two separate occasions during the May 17 meeting, his request to speak on matters was ignored by Altmann.

“I then spoke to the mayor indicating he had once again ignored my desire to speak,” Smith explains. “With this the mayor said, ‘you have to be listening and on time’.”

“After his comment I responded with, ‘don’t be a smart-ass – I wanted to speak to the matter’.”

The word smart-ass had been unconfirmed, as the webcast of the council meeting did not clearly record the conversation between Smith and Altmann, since it was the mayor’s microphone that was on during the incident.

Smith and Altmann sit next to each other in council chambers.

A yorkregion.com/Stouffville Sun-Tribune reporter and town communications coordinator Glenn Jackson did not hear the word during the meeting. The town later confirmed the use of profanity saying Smith “exchanged inappropriate language” with the mayor during a vote for a donation to an event sponsored by Evergreen Hospice.

The incident was first reported to the town and The Sun-Tribune by a resident on social media May 19. The resident claimed Smith used a similar but stronger word, which the councillor says didn’t happen.

“To suggest that I used any other term than the above is false,” Smith wrote.

Altmann emailed a response to The Sun-Tribune on May 20 confirming bad language was used, saying: “The council meeting was livestreamed and the resident, Rob Dougald, was listening. He had friends in the audience who were paying attention and they confirmed to him what they witnessed and heard.”

The audio recording of the meeting was officially released on the town website late on May 20.

“The webcast of that evening clearly records that on two separate occasions I can be heard trying to get the mayor’s attention,” Smith said in his letter. “On each occasion my request was ignored by him and he then proceeded to call for a vote on the motion.”

The exchange in question is not clearly recorded.

After the exchange, Altmann promptly asked Smith for an apology, to which Smith replied “not a chance”.

Altmann did not repeat the phrase when asked in an email, but expressed dismay with the incident and that he didn’t receive an apology.

“I did ask for an apology at the time the remark was made and also cautioned on the use of language against members of council and reminded council as a whole that we are to act with respect towards each other. I did not receive an apology,” he said in an email.

“Nothing further will come of this matter,” Altmann added.

Smith, who represents the Ballantrae and Musselman’s Lake area, said it’s important for him to “have a say in matters affecting the tax dollars paid annually by our residents.”

He says it’s not the first incident.

“It is equally important that during council meetings bylaws and spending matters are debated in a proper forum,” Smith wrote. “Unfortunately, on two previous occasions this year I have had to remind the mayor of my concern about not allowing all councillors to speak to issues.”

In his email, Smith explained why he did not apologize.

“I will continue to speak up for Ward 2 residents and will not allow any person, on council or otherwise, to interfere with my service to the public,” he said.

“Nor do I feel inclined to apologize for doing so.”

The next town council meeting is Tuesday at 7 p.m. Council meetings are broadcast live online.

The audio recording is posted at: http://www.townofws.ca/en/calendar/council/Default.aspx