In an unfortunate display of conduct unbecoming of a public representative, Sara Inch, a city councillor from North Bay, has been found guilty of violating the code of conduct. This conclusion was reached by the community’s integrity commissioner, following allegations about Inch disrespecting fellow councillors via emails, and making false claims on social media concerning a denial of access to budget information.
As penance for her behavior, the council held an evening meeting on Thursday, voting in favor of suspending Inch’s pay for 90 days. Contrite post the meeting, Inch chose not to engage with the media, but instead delivered an earnest apology to the council and the community. She admitted to her words and actions proving detrimental, despite her intentions to the contrary.
The gravity of the transgressions, particularly the fabricated allegations on social media, was highlighted by acting integrity commissioner, Nicole Singh. Singh noted that Inch’s claims not only turned out to be profanely untrue and offensive but should also have been realized as unwelcome by Inch.
The complaints that triggered the investigation had been filed in March by Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield, who had also been a recipient of some of Inch’s derogatory comments. Horsfield, upon the council’s decision to suspend Inch’s pay, acknowledged the uncomfortable position they’d been put in. She lamented the unfortunate incident while expressing gratitude to the council for addressing the issue and ensuring proper action was taken.
An email sent by Inch on February 25, and her following comments on the selection committee for the new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), were among several concerns raised by Horsfield. It was implied that Inch was not confident about the committee’s selection due to a supposed inability to resist undue influence.
A significant cause of conflict was Inch’s implication that Horsfield, due to her then-pregnant status, was going through personal life changes that may have been distracting her from the hiring process. Horsfield felt personally targeted, and this served as a prime contributor to her decision to file a complaint against Inch.
During her probe, Singh uncovered discrepancies in Inch’s earlier claims of being refused access to budgetary information, finding evidence that she had indeed been offered chances to dig deeper. The investigation also noted Inch’s inability to remember specific instants when she was allegedly denied access, hampering her claims. On questioning, Inch expressed regret over her Facebook post, admitting it was emotionally driven and inaccurate, in addition to being dismissive and evasive in her responses during the interview.
Based on this persistent uncooperativeness, Singh concluded that Inch had violated two articles of the city’s code of conduct for councilors. The next step, therefore, remained for the city council to decide if they wanted to enforce a sanction against Inch.
Later on, Inch took to social media in light of the meeting and asserted her intention to not resign. She showed a determination to move beyond the trivialities and work towards a collective goal with the council for the good of the community.
Inch remains committed to serving as a city councillor, expressing her refusal to step down regardless of the council’s verdict. The nuances and conclusion of this case served as a reminder, accentuating the importance of maintaining a professional and respectful conduct as a prerequisite to effective public representation.
