No apology from Altmann at final Stouffville council meeting in 2017
Decision could lead to further code of conduct violations

YorkRegion.com
Dec. 13, 2017
Simon Martin

The last council meeting of the year in Whitchurch-Stouffville came and went without an apology from Mayor Justin Altmann.

As punishment recommended by integrity commissioner Suzanne Craig and adopted by council in relation to the mind-map on his bathroom wall, Altmann was docked a month’s pay and given 90 days to apologize to town staff in a public meeting.

The 90 days actually runs out Dec. 22, but Dec. 12 was the final scheduled meeting of the year. If no action is taken by Dec. 22, there could be another code of conduct complaint in relation to Altmann with further sanctions.

Altmann said on 105.9 the Region radio station last month that he would not apologize, but rather, would challenge the ethics probe.

“I will be appealing the integrity commissioner’s decision,” he said in the Nov. 15 interview.

“I will be asking for a judicial review, and that will take a process, and that will go and look at how the process and everything was done,” he said. “Members of council want an apology; they want to say, ‘He was wrong, he’s done this.’ In all honesty, I am a very reputable person. My integrity is everything.”

A judicial review launched by former Vaughan deputy mayor Michael Di Biase against Craig for her findings in a 2016 ethics probe, cost taxpayers over $130,000 in legal fees.

The judicial review was the first against an integrity commissioner in Ontario. It was dismissed after a two-day hearing.

The integrity commissioner report, and the independent investigator that was part of it, has cost the town $111,210.

Craig found that Altmann violated three sections of the town's code of conduct, relating to harassment, discreditable conduct and conduct respecting staff.

The lack of contrition shown by Altmann since the sanction was imposed raises alarm bells for Craig.

“I’m deeply disappointed by the inaction,” she said. “In the environment we are in right now, harassment should never be taken lightly.”