2024-04-03 01:47:41
During a session even more stormy than the previous ones, the citizens of Sainte-Pétronille, on the island of Orléans, learned that three of the councilors resigned from their position.
• Read also: Departures within the municipal council of Sainte-Pétronille, plunged into turmoil
Still immersed in turmoil, the municipal council now finds itself without half of its advisors since elected officials Alain Laroche, Lyne Gosselin and Claude Archambault have left their seats. The rumor that was circulating was confirmed to loud applause.
“We can understand their decision,” explained Mayor Jean Côté. “We understand too! », quickly retorted a citizen in the room. Elections will therefore be necessary.
Salary increase
Mayor Côté, who remains in office, began the evening with a new call for calm, before announcing a draft regulation to increase the salary of elected officials still in office.
Furthermore, despite citizens unhappy with the hiring of general director Nathalie Paquet, the four elected officials voted in favor of granting her a salary increase of approximately 4%, in addition to a bonus, the amount of which will remain confidential according to the mayor. “There’s nothing that’s working!” », immediately protested a citizen.
Photo Jean-François Racine / Le Journal de Québec
Still under the microscope of the Quebec Municipal Commission, the climate is not improving in Sainte-Pétronille.
From the outset, the mayor wanted to recall the definition of the word democracy, while dozens of citizens were still stuck outside because the room was too narrow. His ten-minute speech did not calm the crowd present.
Photo Jean-François Racine / Le Journal de Québec
Petition
Citizens also submitted a petition with 512 signatures denouncing the climate in the village of around 1,000 inhabitants. The names were, however, redacted for the filing to avoid “another formal notice”.
For his part, the mayor deplored the methods used, and the “disinformation” linked to this petition.
The arrival of a new general director and a conflict with library volunteers ignited the situation about eight months ago.
The municipality of Sainte-Pétronille paid a total of just over $19,050 in legal fees between the end of November 2023 and January 2024. “The municipality had no other choice but to seek assistance for try to reestablish the facts,” pleaded Mayor Côté.
An angry advisor
Once again, the question period was particularly tense. “We would like to know the names of those who threatened you. You started it like that to make us look like a bunch of thugs,” said former federal deputy Louis Duclos, targeting the mayor.
The evening ended with the anger of councilor Yves-André Beaulé, who raised his voice. “The climate is unhealthy in Sainte-Pétronille. We have asked for an investigation to get to the bottom of all this and we are ordered to shut our mouths! We are fed up ! “, he shouted before the meeting adjourned.
Faced with the impossibility of having a quorum for the session scheduled for May 6, the elected officials chose to bring it forward to April 29.
For the future, the council also decided to grant a communications support mandate to the public relations firm TACT.
“It’s really difficult to be a municipal elected official,” said Mayor Jean Côté.
-With the collaboration of Jean-Philippe Guilbault
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