Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy has issued the following statement in response to false allegations that she called a “secret meeting”

I am deeply disappointed by the baseless and reckless allegations made by Councillor Chris Leahy falsely accusing me of holding a secret meeting in violation of the Municipal Act.

Let me be absolutely clear: no such meeting took place.

Last night, I briefly adjourned the Council meeting for a short recess because Councillor Leahy refused to leave the meeting after I lawfully requested that he do so.

Councillor Leahy was asked to leave after making defamatory comments about members of Council, baselessly accusing Councillors of being racist towards people of Asian descent.

I asked Councillor Leahy to apologize for his conduct, which was in direct violation of the Council Code of Conduct.

After he refused to apologize, I asked him to leave the meeting, which is within my authority under the Municipal Act, as the meeting chair.

When Councillor Leahy refused to leave, I called a short recess, which is standard practice to allow an opportunity for Council members to individually pause, reflect, and regain composure.

During the recess, I requested advice from Town staff, including the CAO and Clerk, as to the procedural options available to move forward with the meeting.

At no time during the recess did members of Council materially advance the business of Council or make any decisions that would violate the Municipal Act, whatsoever.

I am deeply alarmed that a councillor would make such an egregious allegation against myself, fellow councillors and members of Town staff, without any evidence in support.

The issue at hand, which Councillor Leahy is attempting to distract from, is his completely inappropriate accusations and behaviour, which undermine the public’s trust in local government

I welcome an investigation into the events of last night’s meeting – it’s incredibly important that the facts are made public.

Whitby residents must feel confident that their local government is acting ethically, transparently, and in full compliance with all policies, procedures and legislation.

Please find a link below to a statement released today by Town of Whitby CAO Matt Gaskell.