TEHKUMMAH—The township of Tehkummah has hired a new roads superintendent after a stalemate over conflict of interest declarations was resolved at a council meeting earlier this month.
“I’m quite happy we were finally allowed to bring the vote out and have someone hired for the position of roads superintendent,” said John Deforge, Tehkummah mayor after the meeting. “Andrew Wood has been voted in by council as the new township roads superintendent.”
At the council meeting held on December 10, Councillors Lorie Leeson and Steve Wood both declared a conflict of interest and left the council chambers. In the vote on a new roads superintendent Councillor Perry Chatwell and Mayor Deforge voted in favour of hiring Andrew Wood, while Councillor Mike McKenzie voted in favour of T.J. Tilcox.
The two councillors declared a conflict of interest as Andrew Wood is the son of Steve Wood, and T.J. Wilcox is the cousin of Councillor Leeson.
At several previous council meetings, Councillor Leeson had refused to declare a conflict of interest, while Councillor Wood had. With this, no vote was taken by council. If a vote had taken place, it would have violated the township staffing process policy.
Councillor Leeson told The Expositor after the meeting, “It’s a long story. I did declare a conflict of interest. Some people think that is because of the attack on me previously. I still have my doubts. I am not saying there is anything wrong with the person who was hired, but everyone should know all the information and qualifications of the two candidates.”
“It’s who council wanted,” said Councillor Leeson. “I claimed conflict of interest and left the room. I’m glad we have someone in place as the roads superintendent but he doesn’t have the same qualifications as the other candidate for the position. There is no reason (Mr. Wood) should not be on the roads department, but in my opinion, not as the head of the department, going on the qualifications in the resumes submitted.”
As was reported previously, under the township staffing process policy established over five years ago it states in part, “Councillors and staff that have friends and/or relatives submit an application for a position are not permitted to participate in the hiring.”
That was the crux of a stalemate the township council had been dealing with in trying to hire a new township roads superintendent. With interviews having been conducted Mr. Wood and Mr. Tilcox were in the running for the township roads superintendent.
At the previous meeting of council, Councillor Leeson told council she would not be declaring a conflict of interest if a vote took place, indicating that she felt strongly that she did not have a conflict of interest. She explained that, at the very beginning of the hiring process for the separate position of a public works employee earlier this year, she had voted in favour of hiring her cousin because he was well qualified. “Then it was thrown at me that I was related to him, and that I should have declared a conflict.”
“I just met him (Mr. Tilcox) in 2019 and have not had very much at all to do with him (as he was living in another part of the province), Councillor Leeson had indicated previously.” She explained Mr. Tilcox is her dad’s brother’s son’s son. “I have to wonder how far and how many generations of relatives we have to go back that it isn’t a conflict.”
Mr. Tilcox was eventually hired by the township on a full-time part-time basis to help the roads crew, and when the position for roads superintendent came up, he applied for that position as well.
Under the township staffing process policy it reads in part, “Relatives and friends of council members and employees who apply for employment with the municipality will not be favoured or discriminated against. Council members and existing employees are not permitted to contact members of a selection committee regarding a particular application. Councillors and staff that have friends and/or relatives submit an application for a position are not permitted to participate in the hiring. In the event that an applicant provides the name of a council member and/or existing employee as a reference, that applicant will be requested to provide an alternate reference.”
Councillor Leeson said that the issue of the township staffing process policy was raised at last week’s council meeting, “that maybe we need to fix the hiring policy to make it clearer.”
