Westmount mayor apologizes after being caught on mic muttering profane insult at council meeting

Westmount Mayor Michael Stern apologized for a crude remark about a resident caught on a hot mic during his first council meeting.

The newly-elected mayor of Westmount, Que. has apologized after being caught on a hot mic saying “fuc--ng assho--” to a resident under his breath at a council meeting.

The incident happened on Nov. 17, which was the first meeting Mayor Michael Stern presided over since the Nov. 2 election.

Resident Richard Dufour was up at the podium asking questions when he turned to Coun. Antonio D’Amico, a member of the City of Westmount’s Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Committee, and asked if he would resign for voting against the committee’s recommendation to keep garbage pick-up to once a week and because of his attendance record on the committee.

D’Amico said he would not resign. As Dufour left the podium, Stern muttered the profane insult in a low voice, which was picked up by the audio recording.

On Monday evening, Mayor Stern opened the second council meeting of his mandate with an apology.

“At our last meeting, an off-mic comment I made was audible in the room and online. It was inappropriate. I expect better of myself and residents have the right to expect better from their mayor,” the mayor said

“I apologize for that comment. We have important work ahead and I want to stay focused on improving services, strengthening operations and moving Westmount forward.”

Dufour said he was satisfied with the apology.

“I’m happy that he did apologize. I think that was an important gesture on his part,” he told CTV News after the meeting.

“I think the whole issue was the result of a heated exchange that I had with councillor D’Amico. I think it’s important that councillors and elected officials at a municipal level — and all levels, actually — be open to debate and to be challenged. Municipal politics doesn’t operate with an opposition party as does the federal and provincial systems, so it’s important that citizens have the right to engage and to ask questions and I think that’s a very important part of democracy.”

Stern was elected mayor after winning 40 per cent of the vote in the Nov. 2 municipal election.