One of the three former municipal councilors of Saint-Pétronille, Claude Archambault, blames the mayor and other councilors for the situation which reigns in the Municipality. In his resignation letter obtained by Radio-Canada via an access to information request, the latter describes this situation as “ridiculous”.
Of the three resigned councilors, it is Claude Archambault who seems to be the most critical of Mayor Jean Côté’s way of doing things.
Noting that the mayor and certain councilors maintain a confrontational approach towards the citizens of the village, rather than seeking to find common ground and resolve the conflict diplomatically directly with the citizens, I am making the decision to resign.
From the beginning, I was in favor of a course of action offering suggestions to resolve the conflict, but nothing was considered
says Mr. Archambault.
Whoever was elected in the fall of 2021 hopes that harmony will return within the Municipality.
My principles do not allow me to tolerate the ridiculous situation that reigns in the village for another day
he concluded in his letter.
Redacted letter
It is difficult to know more about the motivations of former councilor Lyne Gosselin since her resignation letter is largely redacted.
In the response provided to Radio-Canada, the general director of the municipality, Nathalie Paquet, explains that certain passages constitute opinions and opinions formulated by a municipal councilor. In addition to invoking the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information, she adds that these notices and opinions relate to subjects discussed behind closed doors.
The former advisor mentions elements
who compromised her commitments as an elected official, but the redacted passages obscure the context.
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The majority of the resignation letter from former municipal councilor Lyne Gosselin has been redacted.
Photo: Screenshot
Ms. Gosselin indicates that she wants to get involved in a different way to contribute to community life
of the village.
I recognize the commitments of the council members to do their best to ensure good management of the village, but I note our profound disagreement as to how to translate it into our decisions.
Divergent view
Former councilor Alain Laroche seems less critical of Mayor Jean Côté.
He emphasizes having enjoyed working with the town hall team […] dedicated to the Village and full of good intentions.
He nevertheless mentions that the The last few months have been difficult in terms of communication between the parties. There is too much time to invest in advancing points of view and preparing arguments.
Unfortunately, it is impossible for me to move forward with projects that are close to my heart.
explains Mr. Laroche in his letter.
An election is planned for June 16 to fill the positions of resigning councilors. However, citizens are asking that this be postponed pending the conclusions of the investigation carried out by the Municipal Commission.
With the collaboration of Marie-Claire Giffard
