“Warning: a quote in the following story contains swearing.”
Sarnia council has suspended city/county councillor Bill Dennis' pay for 45-days.
Councillors Chrissy McRoberts, Adam Kilner, Brian White, Anne Marie Gillis, Dave Boushy and Mayor Mike Bradley endorsed the recommended penalty from Sarnia integrity commissioner after another investigation was launched into Dennis' conduct in March.
In a 60-page report, Benjamin Drory found Dennis blatantly disrespected fellow members of council, and didn’t follow the city’s rules for conduct during formal meetings.
Councillor Terry Burrell opposed the pay suspension, and was unsuccessful in his request to receive and file the report.
Burrell accused council of setting "the fuse for another outburst" when asking for a report on safety and security measures after Dennis apologized for a previous outburst in October, 2023.
"I certainly don't agree with the way he [councillor Dennis] acted, and what he put out, but I have to agree in the sense that it was set up by members of council to antagonize him and he took the bait. Which he probably shouldn't have, but he did," said Burrell.
Councillor McRoberts said valid points made by councillor Dennis are lost when he reacts emotionally, personally and has outbursts.
"If you [councillor Dennis] could just stay on subject and on point, you would have a lot more pull and a lot more alignment and agreements with some of the motions that you make," said McRoberts.
She admitted she doesn't see an end to the behaviour.
"Please do not call it passion when you are calling the rest of council clowns or you're putting Sarnia down and referring to it as a S-H-I-T hole in public. That is unacceptable and that's not passion, that is something else and I just don't want it in council anymore," McRoberts said.
Councillor Kilner said he won't take responsibility for anyone else's behaviour other than his own.
Councillor George Vandenberg also opposed the pay suspension, saying it wouldn't benefit anybody.
His suggestion that Dennis be paid but asked to donate the money to charity didn't receive a seconder.
Councillor Dennis read a lengthy statement defending his actions.
"I'm not afraid of these complaints, I see them for what they are and I believe everyone else does too," Dennis said. "What I am afraid of is to live in a city being allowed to slip away because of poor decisions and a lack of accountability in leadership."
"I refuse to sit back and allow our city to fail, and I also refuse to look the other way when it comes to staff and council performance," he added.
Dennis didn't agree with insinuations that he's dangerous.
"I am outspoken, I speak my mind, I do sometimes cuss and I call it like it is... but am I dangerous? Get real! I'm not dangerous to anything but maybe people's feelings or their political futures. I would never call for violence, that is plain ridiculous," he said.
Dennis admitted he "inadvertently liked" a comment on social media calling for members of city council to be lynched, which is referenced on page 16 of the integrity commissioners report.
"Mayor Bradley says it equates to me advocating for violence against council members, councillor White says 'my children see Dennis supporting calls for violence against their father.' If this isn't dramatic, political make believe for you... I don't know what is."
Meanwhile, a recommendation by staff to develop a specific social media policy for members of council and boards was defeated.