Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter
Godmanchester mayor Pierre Poirier has lost the support of his municipal council.
During the regular council meeting on February 5, the six members of the municipality’s council formally requested a confidence vote take place against the mayor.
The motion was brought forward by councillor Jean-Maurice Daoust, citing several reasons for which the council has lost confidence in their elected leader. The members passed the motion unanimously after expressing concerns over transparency and the mayor’s handling of municipal affairs.
The motion states that the council lost confidence in the mayor’s ability to ensure the faithful application of municipal bylaws and resolutions, and in his capacity to ensure that municipal revenues are collected and spent as intended. It also notes that councillors are no longer confident in Poirier’s ability to exercise his powers of supervision, investigation, and control over the administration and work carried out by municipal employees. Finally, the motion asserts that councillors have serious doubts as to whether all pertinent information or recommendations are being communicated to the council by the mayor.
As an expression of opinion on the part of the council, the motion is symbolic but does not remove the mayor from office as Quebec law does not provide a framework for non-confidence votes at the municipal level. According to sources, a formal request for the mayor to step down has not been issued.
Poirier had previously announced that he does not intend to run again in the 2025 municipal election. He has served as the mayor of Godmanchester since 1999.