Essex Mayor cleared of code of conduct complaints

Complaints about Mayor Sherry Bondy's online posts about how she voted on controversial issues have been found to not be justified

Code of Conduct complaints against Town of Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy have been dismissed, Essex County Council heard Wednesday night.

During a public meeting, Bondy said that two complaints had been filed with the integrity commissioner.

It stemmed from her comments and social media posts on the county’s green bin program — a topic which had sparked contentious debates earlier this year.

“I’m here to tell you today that after a full investigation, the integrity commissioner has officially terminated that file and found no contravention of the code of conduct,” Bondy told council.

Bondy, who serves as a councillor on county council, told CTV News after the meeting that her statement was an effort to remain transparent with residents.

Because the commissioner has dismissed the complaints, she noted a formal report will not be provided to council.

The identities of the complainants are not shared publicly.

From January into early March, the county received repeated questions from residents over the fee structure of the recently introduced green bin program.

Lengthy debates at council meetings covered whether the fee could be reduced and how the county should proceed.

Bondy, who at times voted in the minority, said she often took to social media to share her reasoning with residents.

“We can’t criticize, you know, council for the reasons why they’re going forward with something if you didn’t vote in favour of it, but I can share, you know, why I voted yes for a program, why I voted no for a program,” she said Wednesday night.

Through talks with the commissioner, Bondy said it was made clear that officials voting against a majority decision are not limited from commenting on it publicly.

Bondy said it was determined her conduct was not out of line, and the social media posts she made did not undermine council.

“I do want to make sure that people know that there were some complaints filed and that your elected officials can respectfully speak out if they are on an opposing side, and also to be engaged in municipal politics,” Bondy explained.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey asked about the costs associated with investigating complaints to the integrity commissioner.

County staff noted the costs are usually included as part of budget reports.

Bondy added she also wanted to see the associated costs.

“So this was, you know, probably very costly on behalf of the taxpayers, where at the end of the day, elected officials, if they have issues with each other, they should really just pick up the phone and call and talk about concerns rather than go through this process that costs taxpayers money,” Bondy added.

At the end of the day, the Essex mayor noted, by speaking out, she’s hopeful to encourage residents to further engage in municipal affairs and better understand the roles of municipally elected officials.