BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report

Rigaud town council ratified the suspension of a top administrator last week for an indetermined period without pay and launched what it termed “an administrative investigation” that will outline next steps.

The move was the subject of a special meeting of council Oct. 30, where, in an awkward attempt to refrain from naming the individual, elected officials voted unanimously to uphold the decision taken Oct. 18 by Mayor Marie-Claude Frigault to suspend the official. Although the individual was not identified, council then proceeded to approve a list of four motions to strip the town’s director-general, Maxime Boissonneault, of a list of responsibilities, naming his assistant, Julie Rivard, as the person who will replace him as he is on an indefinite leave. Rivard was also named assistant treasurer, a title held by Boissonneault up until last week.

The meeting lasted about 15 minutes, with Frigault refusing to answer questions afterward, telling The 1019 Report she did not have time. When pushed for a comment, she retorted she works many hours and would prefer to spend any free moments with her family.

Rigaud’s director of communications, Geneviève Hamel, Monday refused to confirm that Boissonneault was the employee suspended, and said Frigault would not comment.

It is not known what triggered Frigault to suspend the official earlier in the month.

Council has hired consulting firm Relais Expert Conseil, a Montreal-based firm specializing in labour law and human resources issues, to carry out its review of the situation. Hamel said Monday that process has started, but could not confirm how long it would last or if it had been completed.

Bossonneault has been working for the town as its top administrator since August 2022. His arrival was part of a series of new hires in the wake of a spree of resignations at Rigaud town hall earlier that year, months after a new council, including the election of Frigault, took over.

From February to May 2022, 16 civil servants resigned, including many of the town’s top administrators – the director-general, the treasurer, the director of urbanism, the director of recreation and the director of human resources.

• Reporter Joshua Allan contributed to this report.