Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara is blaming political meddling for Sandra Pupatello's decision to leave the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation.
"Just let them do their work instead of all these petty politics and BS," McNamara tells BlackburnNews.com.
He isn't putting the blame for Pupatello's departure solely on Windsor city councillor Hilary Payne's public spat with the development corporation CEO, but feels local politicians shouldn't "air dirty laundry that doesn't even exist."
"We're not economic development officers, even from the mayor's office, he's not an economic development officer," says McNamara. "I mean, you have professional people that do that."
McNamara is frustrated at seeing someone he regards as a world class talent leaving the top job at WEEDC. He says back room politics is helping to give Windsor-Essex a reputation for chasing away good people from the development corporation.
"Sandra, Ron Gaudet; now in the Kitchener-Waterloo region doing a phenomenal job. There was nothing wrong with Ron Gaudet. Again, political meddling," says McNamara. "I'm all over the province as [Association of Municipalities of Ontario] president and I hear the comments from regional governments, chairs from the GTA and they're saying, 'What the hell are you guys doing down there? You're a bunch of buffoons.' "
The Tecumseh mayor expressed his disappointment at the questions leveled at Pupatello and the development corporation at an Essex County Council meeting earlier this year.
Pupatello's last day as CEO of WEEDC is July 31.
