Council will be offered social media training in the near future.
That update from Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield as council received and filed a report from the Integrity Commissioner involving a complaint against Councillor Sara Inch by Canadore College President and CEO George Burton.
The commissioner found Inch did not breach the code of conduct with her social media posts but did recommend social media training for council.
It was the second time in the past few months they’ve received a report from the commissioner involving Inch.
The first involved a complaint from the Deputy Mayor.
Inch says valuable lessons have been learned.
“As this chapter concludes I eagerly look forward to redirecting the energy invested in this process to other meaningful endeavors that contribute positively to our community and beyond,” she says.
Inch also thanked the commissioner for rejecting the latest complaint.
She says one lesson can be to resolve issues with ‘adult discussions’ rather than going to the Integrity Commissioner.
Other councillors say they have to find a way to work together, including Councillor Mark King.
“I would really ask council to find the will to get along,” he says. “Sometimes it’s difficult. Sometimes you just have to talk to people or sometimes you just have to take what’s being dished out and learn from it.”
Councillor Tanya Vrebosch is hopeful this is one of the last commissioner’s reports they see during this term.
“I don’t want to see this as our legacy,” she says.
In October, council suspended Inch’s pay for 90 days after the commissioner found she breached the code of conduct in the way she treated the Deputy Mayor, including through social media posts.
