Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist
CHANDLER – The saga surrounding the Town of Chandler’s claim against former Mayor Louisette Langlois has cost the Town more than $400,000 in legal fees to date, while no date has yet been set for the case.
For the period from October to December 2024, the total legal costs amounted to $29,984.95. The firm GBC Avocats, to which Charles Caza, the attorney for the former mayor is part, billed $16,542.67. The Town’s representation, Morency Avocats, issued an invoice for $13,442.28.
The Percé courthouse clerk’s office issued the certificate of completeness on January 7.
The parties are now awaiting a hearing date for the application.
In January 2021, the council adopted a resolution leading to the filing of the claim by the Town, emphasizing in particular that the accusations against Louisette Langlois resulted from serious or intentional misconduct, by giving precedence to her personal interest, by having committed actions intentionally and premeditatedly, all to achieve her ends.
The argument was repeated in the motion for an originating application for reimbursement of defence costs filed in January 2022, which sought $230,411 in reimbursement.
Chandler’s attorneys mentioned in particular that “The decision rendered (…) on December 21, 2020, is damning concerning the defendant and establishes that the defendant’s acts or omissions are serious and/or intentional and/or separable from the exercise of her functions.”
They added that the former mayor “Has multiplied the procedures, some of which are unnecessary, unfounded and truncated in light of the evidence presented before the CMQ (Commission municipale du Québec).”
In December 2019, Louisette Langlois was cited for 21 breaches of the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct of Chandler Elected Officials. After hearings in July 2020, the Commission concluded that the former mayor was guilty of 20 breaches, including conflicts of interest, in December 2020. Before the sanction hearing, Ms. Langlois attempted to obtain a stay of proceedings, and contested the notice of sanction issued against her, going so far as to ask to reopen the investigation, requests that were rejected by administrative Judge Sandra Bilodeau.
The former mayor went to the Superior Court, where she was dismissed in July 2021, and suffered the same fate in October 2021 before the Court of Appeal.
In addition, the motion accused her of having multiplied the procedures thereafter.
The Town has adjusted its claim to more than $300,000 and is now including the costs incurred in the ongoing legal proceedings. The total bill for this saga has now reached $404,786.