CENTRE WELLINGTON – An Integrity Commissioner has determined a code of conduct complaint made last December against Mayor Shawn Watters is unfounded.
According to a 12-page report coming to Centre Wellington council for approval next week, the complaint said Watters had violated the township's code of conduct and Municipal Conflict of Interest Act (MCIA) when discussing a report on short-term rentals at a council meeting on Sept. 30, 2024.
That September report recommended council receive the draft STR bylaw for information before referring the document to the Economic Prosperity & Growth Advisory Committee and posting it on Connect CW for additional feedback.
Both the application and complaint allege Watters should've declared a pecuniary interest during the discussion since he is a director and part owner of the company that runs Riverfest Elora and his involvement “could directly impact the profitability of … future Riverfest festival business along with his partners… interests.”
It also alleged Watters should have declared a pecuniary interest because he has a family member employed by the company before saying any council member directly involved in the township's tourism industry should remove themselves from any discussions concerning STRs.
Watters refuted the allegations in a brief statement not included in the report.
While Watters is a part-owner of the company, the report said there is "no reasonable basis" to conclude the report being sent for further consideration would result in any financial implication for Watters or the company since the vote was not for the implementation of the yet-to-be-drafted future licensing bylaw, "which itself would not give rise to any pecuniary interest."
The complaint about a family member's involvement with the company was unfounded for the same reason.
Even if there was a pecuniary interest, the report said the MCIA's clause that allows exceptions for "remote or insignificant" pecuniary interests would apply since Watters is an experienced council member, "acted in good faith," and has been "vigilant" in declaring past pecuniary interests – not to mention the matter is of "broad concern" for residents and the meeting's vote was for additional feedback.
Regarding Watters allegedly influencing staff decisions and recommendations respecting a matter in which he has a pecuniary interest, the report said this was "purely speculative" and there is no evidence to support the claim since Watters "hardly spoke" during the discussion and "behaved in a manner consistent with his role."
In January, Watters was cleared of another code of conflict complaint that alleged he contravened the code of conduct due to a June open house volunteer recruitment event which showed opportunities for volunteering with Riverfest.
The full report is available here.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program