The mayor of Belleville was not in a conflict of interest when voting on an amendment to a sign bylaw that banned the use of off-premise mobile advertising signs in the city, according to lawyers.
Back in January, council voted to ban off-premise portable advertising businesses because of complaints about their negative impact on the city’s general appearance.
Mayor Mitch Panciuk, on his own, sought legal advice from law firm Cunningham Swan.
The mayor is the owner of Boston Pizza in Belleville and does not use off-premise mobile signs to advertise.
In the legal opinion, it was said that the mayor’s business would not be positively or negatively impacted by the bylaw amendment but warned that should the matter come up again, he should declare a conflict if at all unsure of his status, or seek a legal opinion before voting.
