Scanned, recopied or Internet copy, if there are errors, please e-mail me with corrections: Opening comments: More at the end. Mississauga News - Oct 18, 2006 - By Joseph Chin - with files from Craig MacBride Councillor in conflict over use of staffers Ward 5 Councillor Eve Adams has had her City Hall staff re-assigned because of election improprieties. The councillor denies any wrongdoing, saying she has obeyed all the rules during her campaign. Yesterday, however, City of Mississauga Manager Janice Baker said complaints filed with Mayor Hazel McCallion led to an investigation into Adams' behaviour. Baker confirmed the complaints concerned City staff who were forced to work on Adams re-election campaign. Baker said Adams' staff members asked to be re-assigned because of the "awkward situation" in which they found themselves. The City agreed. "(What Adams did) was contrary to the City's conflict of interest policies," said Baker. "The rules clearly state that was not acceptable." Baker said City employees are allowed to work in election campaigns as long as they do so voluntarily and on their own time. In this case, that was not so, said Baker. As result, Adams' two administrative assistants had their jobs changed. They have since been replaced by temporary workers for the duration of the election campaign. Adams was also issued a warning. "The mayor and I met with the councillor and asked her not to do that anymore," said Baker. Last night, Adams defended herself saying the charges are incorrect. "City staff volunteered their personal time and it was clear it was their personal time, which is appropriate," she said. Adams went on to explain that when she asked her staff if they would like to work on her campaign, she told them both verbally and in writing that it must be done on their own time. The Ward 5 councillor refused to respond to Baker's version of events. "Obviously I need to work with this individual, so I'm not going to comment," said the first term councillor. It's not the first time Adams has run into problems on the campaign trail. During the 2003 election, members of her campaign team, her husband, Peter Adams, and her brother, Imre Harvath, were charged with stealing election signs belonging to two of her opponents. In a plea bargain struck with Crown prosecutors, the charge was dropped last year in return for the defendants' donation of $1,200 to a charitable organization. Adams went on to win that election, defeating 20 other candidates, including then-incumbent Councillor Cliff Gyles, who ran for re-election despite being convicted of corruption and sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail. Baker, however, said the initial episode involving Adams' campaign team was not a factor this time. Adams said she is proud of her first term on council. "I work very hard for my residents," she said. "I put in long hours. People are going to make silly statements during a campaign, but I think my record speaks for itself." Prior to serving on Mississauga City Council, Adams was a provincial government employee for eight years in the Ministries of Transportation, Citizenship and Energy, Science and Technology. Home Page - Main Table of Contents - Back up a page - Back to Top [COMMENTS BY DON B. - ] |
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