Plateau Mont Royal borough mayor Helen Fotopulos is leaving her position to allow city councillor Michel Labrecque to run for the spot in the Nov. 1 election.
The longtime city politician insisted she was not pushed aside by mayor G�rald Tremblay, who has been struggling to save face after a series of recent scandals at city hall.
Fotopulos was not directly linked to any of the scandals, but did face scrutiny earlier this month after it was revealed she spent an evening watching a Montreal Canadiens game at the Bell Centre courtesy of CIMA+, an engineering firm that has had a number of contracts with the city.
The Plateau Mont Royal borough administration is also being audited, following allegations that borough manager Johanne Falcon didn't co-operate with the city's ombudsman.
Fotopulos said she a lot of time reflecting before making the choice to step aside.
"I informed the mayor of my decision after having obviously thought it over," she said.
"Part of my reflection was that I thought Michel Labrecque has a valuable contribution to make to the city...I've also come to the point in my political career where I ask myself where I can best contribute," she added.
In addition to serving as a councillor in the Plateau Mont Royal borough, Michel Labrecque is the head of the Soci�t� de transport de Montr�al.
He is a well-known environmentalist, and co-founder of V�lo Qu�bec, a non-profit organization that encourages the use of bikes as a means of transportation in the province.
