ELECTION REJECTION
Paperwork foils council bid
Patsy Copus is considering filing a complaint with the City of Windsor’s integrity commissioner over the handling of her nomination paperwork in a failed bid to run for council in Ward 3. Copus was one of three potential candidates disqualified from running in the municipal election this fall because of errors in their submissions.
“I was devastated,” Copus said when she learned her name wasn’t on the official list of candidates released Monday.
Each candidate was required to fill out a standard nomination form, as well as a new form containing 25 signatures of eligible voters endorsing the candidate’s run for office.
One woman who wrote down her name and address on Copus’s endorsement form forgot to sign and date it, leaving Copus one signature short of the minimum requirement.
“That person never signed and dated it, so we couldn’t accept it,” said Chuck Scarpelli, the city’s manager for records and elections. “It’s unfortunate and I feel bad that it’s like that and I told her that, but that’s the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. “
Steve Gavrilos was disqualified from running in Ward 7 and Angela Fitzpatrick was disqualified from running in Ward 8. Gavrilos also fell short of 25 endorsements when one person on his list nominated “Steve Gavrilidis” instead.
Scarpelli said many candidates gathered extra signatures just “to be on the safe side.” Fitzpatrick, who filed her paperwork just five minutes ahead of last Friday’s deadline, collected some of her endorsement signatures on a piece of foolscap paper instead of the required government-issued form.
“She was the only candidate who did that,” Scarpelli said. “The other 50 candidates for city council all had it on the form.”
Copus alleged Scarpelli helped other potential candidates fill out their paperwork correctly. “Why wasn’t I given the same courtesy,” said Copus, who said she is also considering filing a complaint with the Ontario Ombudsman and Human Rights Commission.
On her webpage at patsycopus. ca, Copus claimed that Scarpelli went through Greg Lemay ’s paperwork “line by line.” Reached by the Star on Wednesday, Lemay stated emphatically in an email that “Chuck DID NOT help me fill out paperwork.” Scarpelli also said neither he nor his staff would “touch endorsements. If we did help anyone it would be with their nomination paper and that’s what we’ve always done. No one would help with endorsements Form II, that has to be completely filled in by the candidate.”
Copus also contended that Scarpelli helped fill out paperwork for Ward 8 candidate Lisa Valente. “He went through a checklist to make sure you had all your paperwork,” Valente said. “But I was never coaxed. I feel so sorry for her but I think it’s our responsibility to check the paperwork.” Scarpelli noted all the requirements for filing nomination papers were explained on the city’s website, on the ministry ’s website and in each candidate’s package.