Montreal’s city manager Guy Hebert has resigned, announced Mayor Michael Applebaum at a press conference Monday afternoon.
Jean-Yves Hinse, the city's director of human capital and communications, will take over the role on an interim basis.
“In my opinion, Guy Hebert’s departure was inevitable,” said Applebaum. “If he had stayed, the climate at city hall would have been difficult to manage.”
Opposition leaders were demanding Hebert resign Sunday after word he demand the city's chief of police, Marc Parent, be replaced.
Applebaum confirmed that he asked the city manager to resign and he accepted.
“The city manager has the right to speak with the deputy minister (of public security), but from what has been confirmed to me, Guy Hebert effectively went too far regarding questions about Marc Parent,” said Applebaum. "He went too far in also discussing a possible replacement for Marc Parent."
Hebert was at odds with Parent over a municipal contract.
A report in La Presse said last week that Parent and the police force were investigating irregularities in the awarding of a $42-million telecommunications contract in which Hebert's office was involved.
Applebaum would not confirm that report.
The police brotherhood brought the story to the forefront last week when they demanded that Hebert step down.
Hebert has denied seeking the police chief's resignation but, according to Applebaum, he apparently admitted in a meeting today that he carried their dispute "too far."
Since 2006, four straight city managers have quit while embroiled in controversy or over reasons that were never publicly explained.
A provincial corruption inquiry is currently examining the dealings at city hall since the 1990s.
One recent city manager, Claude Leger, has testified at the inquiry about having seen inappropriate things at city hall but failed to stop them. Another, Robert Abdallah, has been accused of wrongdoing but has vehemently denied the accusation. Abdallah has not testified so far.
One more, Louis Rocquet, was brought in to clean things up at city in 2009 -- but he quit two years later in the fallout from allegations about the illicit monitoring of the city auditor-general's personal communications.
Details regarding Hebert’s departure will be discussed at the executive committee meeting on Wednesday.
Meantime, Projet Montreal leader Richard Bergeron said it was bound to happen.
"He paid the price," said Bergeron. "Mr. Hebert lied to us, to the population, to the mayor and he had to go."
Vision Montreal leader Louise Harel said she believes Hebert took the mayor for a ride.
"Mr. Hebert denied the questioning of Mr. Applebaum as he did the same with journalists," said Harel.
With a report from The Canadian Press
