Councillor rebuked for ‘reputational damage’
Budget deliberations get testy, Farkas accuses council of ‘bullying’ him
An eventful second day of deliberations on the proposed fouryear municipal budget saw one city councillor chastised by his colleagues for inflicting “reputational damage” on city hall.
The dispute began when Coun. Jeromy Farkas accused his council colleagues of “bullying behaviour,” suggesting they had “staged a walkout” while he was speaking during a closed-door meeting on labour negotiations — an assertion roundly rejected by his colleagues Tuesday.
“When you play with fire this can happen. If you are constantly treating your colleagues disrespectfully (then) why do you expect respect back?” Mayor Naheed Nenshi said Tuesday after Farkas tried to raise the issue in public following the incamera meeting.
“You should be willing to say the same thing around this table that you say to the press. I hope you’ll use this as an opportunity to reflect on your behaviour.”
Several councillors said Tuesday that they took exception to public comments made by Farkas in the past that “compromised the integrity and the reputation” of elected and unelected officials, and the institution of city hall.
Some councillors said Farkas was responsible for circulating “misinformation” about councillor and city staff pensions.
Others appeared to take offence to Farkas’ recent insinuation of impropriety surrounding the city ’s practice of giving money to departing councillors to put toward the purchase of a token for their service.
In recent years, in lieu of gifts such as watches or rings, councillors were offered $500 cheques for the purchase of their own service gift.
Veteran councillor Ray Jones said Tuesday that the practice emerged after gold prices sent the cost of rings into the thousands.
“We weren’t going to pay for the ring, so we said we would put money toward a ring or a watch and it was up to them which one they chose,” Jones said, adding councillors who left after the 2017 municipal election were provided with money for the purpose.
Coun. Jeff Davison said he walked out of the in-camera meeting Tuesday out of exasperation and as a result of the conversation veering off topic.
“Maybe he felt bullied, maybe he didn’t,” Davison said following the caustic debate. “The reality is that he seems to open his mouth with intent to cause reputational harm and damage to this corporation, to the city, to administration, to the 14 others around the table with him.
“Enough’s enough. I think that’s what you saw here today.”
Asked later about the rebuke from his colleagues, Farkas said, “It’s not about me.”
“I make no apologies for fighting for the people I represent,” Farkas said.
“I’m not going to let things get personal.”