UPDATE: 4:30 P.M. Tuesday, October 29
The Integrity Commissioner’s report is now on Belleville city’s website. The public can access the full report by clicking the council agendas HERE
Then click on the middle DOWNLOAD (Minutes) for October 28, then scroll down to the second page for the full report.
Belleville’s Integrity commissioner’s report, released publicly at city council Monday night, indicates that Mayor Mitch Panciuk pressured a senior staff member to hire someone the mayor wanted in a position at city hall.
Council received the report from Integrity Commissioner Tony Fleming but took no steps to enforce any penalties against the mayor.
The report deals with the issue of the hiring of three employees with the most serious charges surrounding the hiring of one employee.
It outlines how Mayor Panciuk pressured a staff member to hire his preferred candidate.
Panciuk stated the requests were for “courtesy interviews” only.
He said he was not “advocating” to get them hired.
Fleming states in the report that the practice of “courtesy” interviews is not permitted under the city Hiring Policy,
Three recommendations in the report exonerated Councillor Pat Culhane and Councillor Kelly McCaw. It also cleared Mayor Mitch Panciuk regarding one complaint that he had breached the city’s Code of Conduct.
The full report may eventually be on the city’s website along with minutes of council’s meeting.
