Last week’s Committee of the Whole Meeting in Rideau Lakes had raised temperatures once again after a legal opinion was brought forward for public discussion.
The opinion found there’s a “strong likelihood,” a court would not rule Mayor Arie Hoogenboom’s various uses of strong mayor powers to be in bad faith.
Councillor Paula Banks there’s only one step forward.
Hoogenboom said he felt vindicated, and later had his say.
Paula Banks said the opinion only proves the legal threshold of bad faith is incredibly high, but that’s it.
The opinion notes an argument could be made that Hoogenboom used the powers for “inappropriate political gamesmanship,” with respect to the mayor’s views on the future of the municipal office, but from a legal standpoint, the vetoes would stand in a court of law.
Story by Grant Deme
