After hearing of departing city manager John Stecyk’s severance package of more than $170,000, Coun. Sushil Thapar is asking for Mayor Mary Sjostrom’s resignation.
“If that’s the way she’s mismanaging the city, she should step down,” he said.
After last week’s press release, stating city manager John Stecyk was “resigning,” Thapar questioned the release calling it “misleading and false.”
He then filed a Freedom of Information request surrounding any severance Stecyk was receiving upon departure.
“If there are financial implications, the public should know,” he said.
This Monday, at an in-camera (private) meeting, city councillors Ed Coleman, Laurey-Anne Roodenburg, Scott Elliott, John Brisco and acting mayor Mike Cave (Mayor Mary Sjostrom is away in China) passed a motion of censure. It states:
“WHEREAS members of council have a legal duty to maintain confidentiality;
AND WHEREAS improper disclosure of confidential information, particularly involving personal information, may expose the City to liability;
AND WHEREAS Councillor Thapar has disclosed to the media confidential information in clear breach of confidentiality rules and a specific agreement;
NOW THEREFORE COUNCIL censures Councilor Thapar for his failure to comply with the Community Charter with respect to rules of confidentiality related to closed Council meeting matters.”
The release says the motion is based on “improper disclosure by Coun. Sushil Thapar.”
It then cites several sections of the Community Charter that “were of concern, most notably: Section 90, which outlines what issues municipalities may or must discuss in-camera, issues mostly related to labour, land or legal.”
Thapar is fighting censure, stating he did nothing to violate his oath.
“All I did was ask a question,” he said.
“Taxpayers deserved to know how much this was costing them. I did not disclose any information, I asked questions.”
Thapar says city council is making decisions in-camera, decisions that are costing taxpayers money.
“And they don’t want people to know about it,” he added.
Thapar also pointed to the recruitment of a fourth city manager during Sjostrom’s reign as mayor.
“Her mismanagement is costing the taxpayers money,” he said.
“All I’m doing is being honest.”
Thapar said if the severance package figure would have been available from the beginning, he would not have had to file an FOI.
“I just wanted the truth,” he said.
“I’m not the liability here, she [Sjostrom] is. Her actions are costing taxpayers money, not mine.”
Thapar says the next step is to call a public meeting. No date has yet been set.
Stecyk’s final remuneration payment from the city was $170,469.13; he was hired Jan. 4, 2011.