Mississauga Councilmember Has Pay Suspended After Allegedly Harassing Another Councilmember – Toronto | Globalnews.ca

A Mississauga city councilman had his pay suspended after he allegedly harassed a fellow councilman.

The Council voted 9-2 Wednesday to suspend Ron Starr’s payment for 60 days, a recommendation made by the city’s integrity commissioner.

The District 6 councilman was the subject of an investigation by Integrity Commissioner Robert Swayze, which found that he “engaged in stalking” against Karen Ras (who resigned in January) when she was a city councilor for allegedly tampering with her vehicle in the city hall parking lot.

Starr continues to deny the allegation.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie issued a statement after the vote Wednesday thanking the integrity commissioner for the report and thanking Ras and the public “for their patience.”

“The Council is committed to considering and responding to the integrity commissioner’s report with an open mind,” Crombie said.

“We reviewed the report and also heard from the integrity commissioner and Councilman Starr’s attorney today in council. The integrity commissioner’s report is unequivocal and nothing we heard today changed the significance of his findings.”

The integrity commissioner’s report on the allegations against Starr was made public on June 30, months after the council ordered the investigation launched.

Swayze said he took several steps in his investigation, including reviewing surveillance footage that allegedly showed Ras’s car being tampered with.

He also said he spoke with the Peel police detective who handled Ras’s initial complaint against Starr.

In his report, Swayze said that, “on the balance of the odds,” he believed Starr scraped Ras’s car on April 13, 2021.

“His action was wanton vandalism and devoid of common decency,” the integrity commissioner wrote.

The city of Mississauga denied a Global News freedom of information request to receive the video on the grounds that the integrity commissioner instructed staff to “keep all information regarding the investigation of the car scratch incident confidential.”

Swayze recommended that the board suspend Starr’s payment for 60 days.

“The integrity commissioner could not have used stronger language to condemn Councilmember Starr’s actions, and I am personally deeply concerned about Councilmember Starr’s conduct,” Crombie said.

Starr called the report ‘unfair’ and ‘biased’

Starr released a statement defending himself after the report was released, calling it “unfair, biased and politically motivated.”

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“I stand by my earlier statement that I absolutely deny the allegations against me,” Starr’s statement read. “I am very sorry that Karen Ras was harassed, but I am not the person who harassed her and I will continue to fight to clear my name.”

Starr’s attorneys also filed an injunction seeking action against the city council regarding the investigation, stating that the investigation was “politically motivated.”

Crombie noted that some have questioned why the board hasn’t forced Starr out of office.

The mayor said the council does not have that power and can only suspend payment after receiving a report from the integrity commissioner.

“Ultimately, it is up to the residents of District 6 to determine who is best placed to represent their interests on the city council come election time,” Crombie said.

Municipal elections are taking place in Ontario this October and Starr has registered to run again in Mississauga’s District 6.

News of the allegations against Starr first broke in February on CBC News and the Toronto Star.

Ras told the CBC he resigned after his car was repeatedly vandalized and his concerns were not addressed by the integrity commissioner and Crombie.

Crombie later apologized for not pushing for an investigation.

Peel Police spokesman Akhil Mooken previously told Global News that officers have carried out an investigation “into an allegation of vandalism/property damage that occurred inside the City Hall secure car park in April 2021.”

Mooken said that, in consultation with the complainant and Crown’s office, it was decided that no charges would be filed. Mooken did not disclose any further information as no charges have been filed.

In February, the Mississauga City Council passed a resolution requesting that the integrity commissioner conduct an investigation into the allegations.

‘The whole process has been very frustrating’: Ras’s lawyer

Ras’s lawyer issued a statement following the council’s vote on Wednesday.

“Despite flawed accountability processes from the city council and the integrity commissioner, at the end of the day, it was confirmed that Ms. Ras was not provided with a safe working environment, contrary to her rights,” it says the notice.

“It is unfortunate and unacceptable that she needed to make her complaints public in order to compel action. This whole process has been very frustrating and has taken too long, but finally, the council made the right decision today.”

The statement said the experience exposed “large systemic gaps in dealing with these kinds of issues for elected officials,” saying that too often the issues are ignored.

“We strongly encourage the next Mississauga City Council to fix the gaps that exist and work with the provincial government to make the necessary legislative amendments to create safe work environments, thereby creating a gold standard in council conduct,” the council continued. release.

“Council members must set an example of how they behave. Only then will they get the respect that so many deserve.”

Global News reached out to Starr for an updated statement but did not receive a response at the time of publication.