Barrie councillor admits to ‘bad decision’ at meeting
Up to councillors to declare conflicts, mayor says

Simcoe.com
July 17, 2014
By Laurie Watt

It’s up to voters to decide on the consequences for Ward 2 Coun. Lynn Strachan - who admits she made “a bad decision” by advocating for her employer’s controversial project in her ward - or seek recourse under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, the city’s integrity commissioner says.

Suzanne Craig refused to open an investigation into the June 16 conduct of the three-term councillor, who is seeking re-election in October.

During the meeting, Strachan didn’t declare a conflict - as she had previously - but left her council seat and joined a group making a presentation on the Pathways to End Homelessness project to answer questions other councillors.

Strachan has worked for the David Busby Street Centre since 2011 and in late 2012 became the Pathways project manager after the street centre obtained a Trillium grant.

In her July 9 report, Craig said Strachan’s behaviour is “within the jurisdiction of the courts, not within the jurisdiction of the (city’s) integrity commissioner to investigate.”

Strachan’s admission and a promise to not influence her council colleagues on the issue were noted in Craig’s response to a citizen concerned about a proposal to locate Pathways’ 24/7 crisis care facility at Central United Church.

“In hindsight and after further review of section 15 of the (council) Code of Conduct, I regret that I chose at that time to speak on behalf of Pathways during the presentation. I was motivated to answer questions because I felt that I had the most accurate information in the group,” Strachan is quoted as saying in the report.

During the council meeting, David Busby Street Centre executive director Sara Peddle started the presentation, and was joined by the co-chairs of Pathways’ governance steering committee - YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka CEO Rob Armstrong and Simcoe County program supervisor Doriano Calvano.

As the presentation began, Strachan vacated her seat at the council table and joined the group. During the presentation, she answered questions from her fellow councillors about the project.

Ontario’s Municipal Conflict of Interest Act requires a public official to disclose a monetary interest in a matter before his/her board or council begins dealing with the item. Further, the law restricts that councillor or trustee from not only participating in any discussion, but also requires the individual to not attempt to influence his/her colleagues in any way, before, during or after the meeting.

Mayor Jeff Lehman said he would review the tape of the June meeting, but at the time he thought she was leaving her seat because of a conflict of interest.

He did not know of the integrity commissioner’s disposition on the matter and noted it’s up to a member of council to declare any potential conflicts of interest each time an issue is raised.

Strachan also admitted this to the integrity commissioner.

“Once I declared a conflict on the matter before council, I should have recognized that a conflict works both ways and I apologize for what in retrospect seems like it was a bad decision,” she said, according to Craig’s report.

Strachan would not comment on the issue further.

“I’m aware there was a formal complaint and the integrity commissioner has dismissed the complaint without investigating,” she said during a brief phone interview Tuesday.