Port council grills Barrick over Region issues
Port Colborne city councillors had many questions for their municipality’s regional councillor, David Barrick, during their Monday night meeting, but didn’t quite find the all answers they were looking for.
Tensions ran high as councillors asked about a number of Region items, including the retirement payment doled out to former Niagara Regional Police chief Jeff McGuire, police board deficits and comments Barrick made to regional council about a recent city council motion out of Port Colborne regarding the Town of Pelham.
On the latter, Port Colborne council returned correspondence from the Region to demonstrate it was vehemently opposed to an investigation into Pelham’s finances.
All of Port Colborne’s councillors took umbrage with comments Barrick made during the Jan. 15 Region audit committee meeting that followed. Barrick is quoted by The Standard as having said city council’s actions were “immature,” “shameful” and “a demonstration of wilful ignorance.”
Ward 1 Coun. David Elliott asked Monday night how name- calling and making comments about being shameful and wilfully ignorant help the relationship between municipalities. He encouraged people to watch the video of that regional meeting online to see Barrick’s conduct.
His fellow Ward 1 Coun. John Mayne asked for an apology from Barrick for his comments.
“I may have been able to choose my words more carefully, but that doesn’t mean they were incorrect,” Barrick said in reply.
He said ignorance simply means that council was lacking information on the issue and that Port Colborne council isn’t the only one subject to this.
He noted the Region is continuing its involvement with Pelham because there were a number of outstanding questions that makes it important to do so. He said the Region does its due diligence “until satisfied.”
While it has been said by a number of municipalities that the Region should not be involving itself in a lower- tier municipality’s finances, Barrick noted that even low- tier municipalities such as Port Colborne vote on issues that are outside its purview.
He also norted the Region voted during its most recent meeting on Feb. 8 to call on the province to take a third- party look into Pelham’s finances. The motion was brought up by Pelham Coun. Brian Baty and was supported 15- 12, including by Port Colborne Mayor John Maloney by his own admission Monday night.
Ward 3 Coun. Bea Kenny viewed that as Maloney going against his original vote with city council in December.
Maloney said he voted on a motion to end the controversy.
Both Maloney’s involvement in regional council and Barrick’s words against Port Colborne council had Ward 2 Coun. Yvon Doucet asking, “What is the role of the Region in our municipal affairs? Right here. What is your role for us in our city?”
Maloney said his role is to protect the interests of the citizens of Port Colborne and to make sure the city gets its “fair share” of regional funds.
Barrick told Doucet if he doesn’t know, he should ask Port Colborne’s CAO or lawyer or consult the Municipal Act, as his role is outlined there.
Doucet, who said he sees Barrick as a “bully,” was insistent on getting an answer from him. He said it would “be critical to anything else that happens after this for me.”
“Let me be very clear. My role is not to report to you, Coun. Doucet, but I do know what it is,” Barrick responded.
Doucet interpreted that to mean Barrick doesn’t work for the citizens of Port Colborne. He said that to him that meant Barrick didn’t want to hear his questions.
“First of all, I said I don’t report to you, Coun. Doucet. Unfortunately, I still am working for you. There’s a difference,” Barrick said.
Addressing the bully comment, Barrick said he has never said anything that “can be perceived as bullying.” He said he also finds it ironic since he was standing before Port Colborne council by himself taking “aggressive, accusatory” questions from nine people.
“I’m still standing here trying to professionally answer questions, working co- operatively together,” he said. “This is the tone, this is the welcome, this is the reception — and I’m the bully? Nice try.”
Barrick said there needs to be strong and positive dialogue between the Region and low- tier municipalities as they are working in a partnership. The residents are what matter the most and just because there are disagreements doesn’t mean they all can’t work together.
Another of council’s big hang- ups was the amount McGuire was paid for his retirement last year. The former chief received $ 870,000 and was also allowed to keep his car, cellphone, computer, iPad and printer.
Councillors had a number of questions about this, such as how such a package, totalling closer to $ 1 million when putting a monetary value on the items, is reasonable and a good use of public dollars.
“I don’t know in what world that is an acceptable golden parachute,” Ward 4 Coun. Barbara Butters said of the matter.
Barrick, a member of the police services board, reminded council that the entire agreement, as a gesture of transparency from the police board, is available online, but said that he cannot comment on matters of the board. He did have some comments, however, about the multimillion- dollar deficit the police board is reported to have had for 2017. The report indicates $ 7 million in deficits, and the board has depleted its reserve fund to cover that, but is still $ 2.4 million in the red. The board has asked the Region to help out with covering the remainder.
Asked what happens if there’s a deficit again for 2018, Barrick said both the police service and Region have “several reserve funds.”
“Quite frankly, the Region is flush with cash. They have over $ 140 million in reserves,” he said. “So am I worried? Absolutely not.”
Ward 2 Coun. Angie Desmarais was concerned how the police deficit would affect service in Port Colborne.
Barrick assured her the services will not be reduced and are in fact increasing. He said for the first time since 1980, the number of new police officers hired is going up. He said there are 16 new frontline staff.
To speak more to the both those issues, Desmarais put forward a motion, which passed, to have police services board chair Bob Gale come speak with city council at a future meeting.