Commission calling for 120-day suspension of CDN-NDG Mayor Sue Montgomery
The Quebec Municipal Commission wants the mayor of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce suspended for 120 days after she was recently found guilty of ethical violations.
Sue Montgomery remained defiant, though, as the municipal commission argued for a tough sentence.
She was found guilty of failing to show respect and courtesy to staffers, and for trying to suspend borough director Stéphane Plante.
The commission said it didn't want to simply reprimand Montgomery, saying that would be a pointless punishment.
The commission also argued the mayor has never admitted to wrongdoing, that she caused hardship for her fellow councillors and staffers, and, that not only she refused to change her attitude, but was likely to reoffend.
It recommends a suspension of 317 days, even though she has less than half of that remaining in her term as borough mayor. Some of those days would be concurrent, for a total of 120 days.
Speaking to CTV News after the hearing, Montgomery continued to dismiss the commission's work.
"This is not justice, what's happening here," she said. "It's revenge."
Montgomery said she's been under attack for trying to dismiss her director, following a long-standing clash with her cabinet chief, Annalisa Harris.
The conflict took such proportions that Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante eventually kicked her out of Projet Montreal.
Despite repeated calls to resign, Montgomery not only refused to do so, she's also running again in the upcoming municipal election, this time surrounded by a new slate of candidates.
"I stand up for justice and I do the right thing and the right thing was to stand up for my chief of staff," Montgomery said.
The commissioner is expected to issue his ruling in the coming weeks, but Montgomery has already made it clear she will appeal whatever sentence is handed to her, meaning that she could remain as borough mayor until at least the election in November.
Correction
A previous version of the article stated the recommendation was for a 10-month suspension. While the recommendation would be for 317 days, some of that would be concurrent, resulting in a total of 120 days.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.