The Mayor of Terrebonne skipped yet another council meeting this week, the third he has missed since corruption squad investigators raided city hall earlier this year.
Jean-Marc Robitaille has been on sick leave ever since UPAC, the province's anti-corruption squad, raided city hall in July.
That month UPAC also raided the home of councillor Marie-Claude Lamarche and Daniel Belec, Robitaille's chief of staff. Councillor Michel Morin is also under investigation.
Belec and Lamarche took sick leave in August and have not been seen at city hall since.
UPAC was reportedly looking for evidence to determine who paid for their brick driveway, which was installed by a firm that has won contracts from Terrebonne.
Nobody has been arrested, and nobody has been charged with any crime in connection to the UPAC raids.
However at Tuesday's meeting the remaining members of the city council suspended the city's General Manager, Luc Papillon, amidst the latest allegations of corruption.
Court affidavits obtained by the Journal de Montreal suggest a cash-for-contract system was in place for years that benefited the mayor and Papillon.
Papillon was under suspicion as far back as 2011, when a QMI Agency investigation showed city staff were using expense accounts to pay for underwear, among other things.
During the Charbonneau Commission in 2014, Robitaille admitted lying about his ties to Tony Accurso, a construction magnate who is facing multiple charges of fraud and corruption.
Tempers flared Tuesday evening as citizens called on the city's administration to be more active, with police removing one man from the room because of his aggressive stance.
John Moniz was one resident who took councillors to task.
"I used to be living in Laval and it's the same history repeating itself. I mean, the mayor is off and they're still paying him," Moniz said.
Deputy Mayor Marc Campagna rebuffed calls for new elections, saying the council could still continue to function.
"There are allegations, but there are no charges," said Campagna.
However time is running out for Robitaille.
He has missed three meetings in a row, and if he does not attend November's council meeting he will have to step down.
