Coun. Rivette suggests private talks are leaked to staff

CORNWALL – Coun. Andre Rivette suggested Friday morning at a city budget meeting that talks behind closed doors are anything but private.

“There’s a big push to close this thing down and I don’t know why,” Rivette said as the budget committee reviewed outstanding reports for the committee on the 2015 budget.

Rivette says he’s still waiting for information to make a decision on this year’s financial blueprint.

Some of those reports have touched on staffing levels and whether positions are unionized.

“When you have a secretary, downstairs, who won’t even look at you…well, I have a problem,” Rivette said, suggesting possible staffing cuts have been leaked from private meetings.

That closed meeting on Monday March 2 has drawn sharp criticism from other councillors, like Coun. Maurice Dupelle, who is considering getting the Ontario Ombudsman involved.

“That’s a pretty serious thing (information getting out from a closed meeting). It’s a serious allegation,” Coun. McIntosh said.

Another closed door meeting is scheduled for March 23, before the regular council meeting at 7 p.m.