DiMarco is ousted from council meeting
Security escorted Tony DiMarco from Welland city council chambers Tuesday after a heated exchange with Mayor Frank Campion during a special council meeting.
It’s the second time in nearly two months the veteran Ward 4 councillor has been kicked out by the mayor.
The latest came during a debate on a proposed $1.21-million redesign of Welland Civic Square, first presented in 2021, brought back last February and turned down at a general committee meeting.
Ward 2 Coun. David McLeod brought it back last July, but the meeting timed out before councillors could vote on it.
The report came back last September, and councillors voted to send it to 2022-26 term of council for a decision on whether it wanted improvements carried out.
The civic square, home to city hall and Welland Public Library, was built more than 17 years ago, and council approved an upgrade to the facility in 2017.
DiMarco has been opposed to the redesign and said it shouldn’t be before council.
“I’ve never seen something defeated at general committee and come back to council. Where does it say that this can occur? It’s wrong,” he said Tuesday.
Campion said council was given an explanation.
“It was reviewed by the clerk’s department and legal. I know you don’t like it and don’t agree with it. We started debating this, so it’s a hangover from a previous meeting.”
Last July, councillors heard that when a matter is before a general committee meeting and a motion is lost, staff will take a report back and reconsider it, possibly making changes.
They also heard the defeat of a report at general committee is not a resolution or bylaw of council, and it can be brought forward if requested.
Under the city’s procedural bylaw, an item or bylaw voted on and defeated at a council meeting can be reintroduced, debated or re-voted upon for 12 months or after two subsequent regular meetings have been held and a motion to reconsider is approved by a twothirds majority. A motion to reconsider must be brought forward by the council members who voted in opposition to a resolution or bylaw.
DiMarco reiterated bringing back the report was wrong.
“It’s not wrong. It’s correct,” Campion said before continuing the discussion on the report.
When chief administrative officer Steve Zorbas later approached chief financial officer Steven Fairweather it seemed to raise DiMarco’s ire.
Fairweather, hired by the city in 2021, had been asked about funding for the civic square project and a strategic initiative capital account, established in 2017, being used.
Council wanted to know what other projects the account funded.
DiMarco made a comment that suggested Zorbas was telling Fairweather what to say.
Campion immediately asked DiMarco to retract his statement, not picked up on the sound system as the councillor’s microphone was off.
“I’m not retracting nothing. It’s my opinion,” DiMarco yelled back at the mayor.
The mayor yelled “Out!” at the councillor, who said, “You come and remove me.”
Campion called for a five-minute recess and told DiMarco he had “better not be here when we get back.”
“Is that a threat? I don’t take threats lightly,” DiMarco shouted back.
Councillors moved into an anteroom, and city staff moved to Zorbas’s office.
City hall security met with Campion in the hallway before heading into council chambers.
A security guard spoke with DiMarco, who was alone at the council desk, and he said he would leave.
No Welland residents were in chambers during the incident, which was livestreamed until the mayor called a recess.