Fort Erie to make code of conduct complaint against Bob Gale

Letters sent by the Niagara Region’s chair regarding possible amalgamation weren’t just missing key evidence and data, they may also have constituted a breach of the Region’s code of conduct, Fort Erie councillors argue.

In a recorded vote intended to show their solidarity, councillors voted unanimously to support a code of conduct complaint against regional chair Bob Gale.

The complaint stems from letters he sent to the office of Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack and Niagara’s 12 mayors where he proposed amalgamating the region’s municipal structure into a four-city or one-city model, or otherwise reducing the number of politicians in Niagara.

“I do believe these violate the Region’s code of conduct. And I would like to move that council authorize the mayor, on behalf of council, to file a formal complaint under the Region’s code of conduct regarding these letters,” Councillor Nick Dubanow said late in Monday night’s meeting.

Councillors offered a full-throated opposition to Gale’s proposed amalgamation.

Their concerns included a lack of evidence or data that amalgamation would meet the stated goal of saving tax dollars, recent examples of amalgamation where Fort Erie seemed to lose both financially and from a service level standpoint, and a rushed process without a clear plan for public consultation.

During his presentation, Gale defended his letters as an attempt to move forward an issue that’s long been discussed but never acted upon and that something needs to be done about rising property tax levels.

“The bottom line is we cannot sustain the tax increases that we’ve had and we will have in the future,” Gale told the councillors.

However, those around the Fort Erie horseshoe were unimpressed with the chair’s efforts to convince them amalgamation was a worthwhile pursuit.

“Certainly when I go into the hot seat, if you will, I come a heck of a lot better prepared,” Dubanow said. “This is the definition of putting the cart before the horse.”

Calling it “not an effective way to govern,” Dubanow also appealed to Gale’s business background, suggesting a similar performance in a corporate setting would not be well received.

“You’d be walked out of a building so fast if you showed up to a board meeting like that and expected to be taken seriously,” he said.

Likewise, Councillor Joan Christensen said the last few days have led her to question exactly what’s happening at the regional level.

“I really am concerned about the state of the Region and the state of competence in that leadership,” she said.

Mayor Wayne Redekop says he will work with the Town’s legal department to craft a formal complaint and determine which clause or clauses their complaint falls under.

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