JOHN JANTAK
The 1019 Report

A proposal to amend the municipal code of ethics regarding the conduct of elected officials in Vaudreuil-Dorion was rejected by a majority of municipal councillors last month, with the mayor saying it wasn’t necessary.

Councillor Jasmine Sharma proposed the modification at the council meeting Nov. 20. It was rejected by a vote of four to three.

The proposal would have created a committee to look into integrating the same civility standards on elected officials as are required from the city’s municipal employees.

“She wanted to create something that is already a part of our city regulations,” said Mayor Guy Pilon in an interview. “It’s been there for many, many years. There’s no reason to do that.”

Sharma said the councillors who voted against it showed a lack of transparency and cooperation because they didn’t ask how the proposal could be amended before it was put to a vote.

“I thought it was an interesting tool that perhaps could be adapted for the political reality at the municipal level,” Sharma said.

“If we’re required to giving this type of example to our employees, I believe that as elected officials we should hold ourselves to the same standard,” she said. “We should set an example.”

Pilon said Sharma should focus on issues that affect her district.

“She wants to create a committee with our city councillors to react to and fix problems when there are none,” Pilon said. “We already have a system in place for our employees where they can report problems.”

“She doesn’t understand her role as a city councillor,” he added. “She wants the attention because she has a political agenda and wants to move into the position of mayor. It’s obvious.”