Mayor, Coun. Vezeau-Allen cleared of wrongdoing by integrity commissioner

Complaints against Mayor Shoemaker and Ward 2 Coun. Lisa Vezeau-Allen, made by an unspecified "ratepayers' association," have been dismissed by John R. Hart, the city's acting integrity commissioner.

The association had asked the acting commissioner to investigate comments directed by Shoemaker and Vezeau-Allen at Ward 4 Coun. Stephan Kinach at a city council meeting on March 18.

Hart is a lawyer with Toronto-based Ritchie Ketcheson Hart & Biggart LLP.

His written decision, to be presented to city council on Monday, contained almost no specific information about the complaints against Shoemaker or Vezeau-Allen, or the mystery organization that launched them.

"The ratepayers' association identified in both requests for investigation is not incorporated," Hart wrote.

"An unincorporated ratepayers' association is simply a group of individuals and there is only one named individual identified on both requests for investigation. That is the individual who identified themself as representing the ratepayers' association."

"The March 18 city council meeting and related report are readily available for review and a determination of who said what to whom about what can be made from a review of the city council meeting video," Hart said in his report to city council.

"I find that Mayor Matthew Shoemaker's remarks did not violate the code of conduct of the City of Sault Ste. Marie and conclude that Mayor Matthew Shoemaker is not in violation of the code of conduct of the City of Sault Ste. Marie," the acting commissioner said.

"I find that Coun. Lisa Vezeau-Allen's remarks did not violate the code of conduct of the City of Sault Ste. Marie and conclude that Coun. Lisa Vezeau-Allen is not in violation of the code of the City of Sault Ste. Marie."

"I find that both Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and Coun. Lisa Vezeau-Allen were attempting to assist Coun. Kinach with the way in which he should be approaching this matter to fulfill his desired outcomes," Hart said.

"It is worth noting that on March 18, 2024, both Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and Coun. Lisa Vezeau-Allen were responding to and commenting upon remarks made by Coun. Kinach, which remarks were ultimately found by the integrity commissioner to be in violation of the code of conduct."

Kinach had been harshly critical of a report from Tom Vair, the city's chief administration officer, about hiring of outside consultants.

"This report disregards us and our constituents we represent. It completely ignores the whole democratic process because this report is evidence that staff is working against council and Saultites," he said.

"In making remarks at the council meeting of March 18, 2024, regarding the CAO’s report of the use of consultants for city operations, Coun. Kinach made several remarks about staff that were found to be inappropriate and contrary to the code of conduct," the integrity commissioner said at the time.

"The integrity commissioner finds that Coun. Kinach violated the code of conduct, specifically the section regarding conduct which includes that as a representative of the city, Coun. Kinach has the duty and responsibility to treat staff appropriately and not use insulting words or expressions."

In remarks challenged by the ratepayers' association in the latest complaint to the integrity commissioner, Mayor Shoemaker and Coun. Vezeau-Allen then exhorted Kinach to be less critical of city staff.

"To suggest that staff is working against the council is frankly beyond the pale," the mayor said.

"You will definitely get further working with staff to try and achieve the goals that you want, then you will by giving them a tongue-lashing because the report doesn't align exactly with what you think it ought to align with," Shoemaker added.

Coun. Vezeau-Allen encouraged Kinach to take a less-aggressive stance with city staff.

"It's all about working together," she said.

"Being accusatory when maybe you don't understand the entirety of why and when and where and how, I think probably having a one-on-one conversation or understanding better why there are consultants... would be much better served than having that accusatory tone," Vezeau-Allen said.

The integrity commissioner recommended at the time that Kinach apologize for his remarks.

Kinach didn't apologize and was subsequently reprimanded by Mayor Shoemaker.

In the latest decision to be presented to city council on Monday, the acting integrity commissioner points out that the representative of the ratepayers' association didn't attend the March 18 meeting of city council and hadn't bothered to review the video record of that meeting.

Monday's city council meeting will be live-streamed on SooToday starting at 5 p.m.