Complainant disappointed by deferral
Delays in dealing with complaints against St. Catharines Coun. Andy Petrowski are “unacceptable,” says Haley Bateman.
And the St. Catharines resident who filed a formal complaint against the two-term councillor in April said the Region’s inaction in dealing with the issues has left her feeling “vulnerable.”
“It seems to me that Coun. Petrowski is managing the situation and they’re just kind of following suit. They’re not doing anything,” Bateman said in an interview Monday.
An investigation into Bateman’s complaint by the office of regional integrity commissioner Edward McDermott determined that Petrowski violated council’s code of conduct for the fifth time this year, when he failed to declare a conflict of interest while attempting to block a previous integrity commissioner investigation into his conduct.
As a result of the integrity commissioner’s findings, Bateman asked regional councillors at last week’s council meeting to remove Petrowski from any committees he sits on, and to discontinue his pay.
However, after spending nearly an hour behind closed doors discussing the report, councillors instead voted 22-2 to defer making a decision on the issue until after Petrowski returns from a leave of absence — taken just hours before the meeting was to begin.
“We will deal with this once Coun. Petrowski returns,” Regional Chair Alan Caslin told the audience at the meeting. “Our decision tonight was based on legal advice that we had in-camera.”
Petrowski declined to comment when contacted by The Standard Monday.
“Do you know that I’m on leave right now?” he said.
“Please refrain from contacting me.”
Asked when he planned to return to council, Petrowski said: “That’s a fair question; I’m planning to return when I return.”
Neither Caslin nor the Region’s human resources director, Peter Wadsworth, would discuss Petrowski’s leave of absence, calling it a human resources issue — despite the fact Petrowski is an elected official and he is not an employee of Niagara Region.
Bateman said Petrowski “craftily took a leave of absence just hours before this meeting where he was to be held accountable, as he has done before.”
Petrowski previously stepped away from his duties as an elected official on May 31, after a pornographic image was sent to nearly 100 people from his regional email account.
Caslin said the Municipal Act does not address the number of leaves of absence elected officials are permitted to take within a year.
By deferring its decision on the integrity commissioner report, Bateman said she believes “council is putting Coun. Petrowski ahead of staff at the Region.”
“I think that’s unacceptable,” she said. “I can’t tell you how disappointed I am at council’s lack of response.”
Bateman said the lack of support from regional council has also left her feeling vulnerable.
“When you file a formal complaint, you’re one individual standing up to this person. They do have a certain amount of power. If council had acted swiftly before, it would be all of council with a great deal of citizens trying to resolve all of the damage that Petrowski has done to this Region. Instead, it’s me against him, or that’s the perception,” she said.
“I do feel vulnerable in this situation. I wish I didn’t, but my conscience won’t allow me not to continue to be involved. Once I started this process, I wanted to see it through.”
Bateman said she believes some councillors were disappointed that the integrity commissioner report was not dealt with on Thursday. Thorold Coun. Henry D’Angela and Lincoln Coun. Bill Hodgson, for instance, voted against the deferral motion.
“At the end of the day, they’re paid to do a job. I’m asking them to hold Coun. Petrowski accountable and they’re not. I have to be disappointed with the outcome,” she said.
“I went there to see it through. A complaint was filed more than six months ago, and we’re just at the point where they’re dealing with it now and it might be delayed for another 90 days.”
After 90 days, Petrowski’s seat can legally be declared vacant.
“He’s being very crafty,” Bateman said of Petrowski. “He knows what he’s doing. If he cannot do his job — this is the second time this year he’s on a leave — he should leave his position permanently.” ABenner@postmedia.com twitter.com/abenner1