Councillor's way of proposing change violated conduct code, investigator says

An investigation into Strait Shores Coun. Andy MacGregor, who was only allowed at two council meetings before being banished from municipal property, has found he violated the council code of conduct.

In his decision, the investigator said MacGregor needs training in how to be a councillor and should take part in mediation with his colleagues.

MacGregor won a January byelection in the rural municipality southeast of Moncton.

But he rubbed his fellow councillors and municipal staff the wrong way with his questions and his proposed changes in how things are done at the municipality, according to the investigator's report.

MacGregor has said he joined council to promote transparency, so he introduced motions that included having meeting minutes and documents posted quickly. 

What followed were resignations by two councillors and by Mayor Jason Stokes, who issued a blistering letter calling MacGregor the "town bully." The two councillors later rescinded their resignations, although one has since resigned again.

The remaining councillors, through a motion, then ordered MacGregor to stay away from municipal property, staff and fellow councillors while an investigator looked into whether his behaviour violated the code of conduct. 

The investigation was conducted by Rollie King of MC Advisory, which describes itself on its website as a human resources advisory firm affiliated with McInnes Cooper, a law firm.

In the report, which CBC obtained, King said he interviewed all councillors, MacGregor, municipal CAO Donna Hipditch and clerk Angela Grant. Stokes declined to participate.

King said most of the staff accusations against MacGregor were about his behaviour before he joined council, chiefly about his asking questions and his demanding requests for information. Staff said the volume of requests and MacGregor's behaviour hurt their health.

King said this was important context, although his job was to consider accusations made about MacGregor's official time as a councillor.

King wrote that members of council, whom he didn't name, felt MacGregor demonstrated a lack of respect toward them, had an agenda and was aggressive.

King did not include any examples of this or any proof of the accusations against MacGregor. 

CBC News requested an interview with Local Government Minister Aaron Kennedy, or anyone from his department who could speak to the problems at Strait Shores, one of the new municipalities created in 2023 under local governance reform.