Three Rivers resident Janice MacBeth has filed a complaint against Coun. Martina MacDonald alleging MacDonald should not have voted on a proposal for a 40-unit apartment building on Robertson Road because of her connections to the people behind the project. Photo by Vivian Ulinwa /The GuardianArticle contentA Three Rivers resident has accused a town councillor of breaking conflict of interest rules by voting on a housing project while having ties to the developers and a non-profit involved in the deal.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe complaint led to a long debate at the June 9 council meeting, ending with a vote to send the issue to lawyers for review.Article contentArticle contentJanice MacBeth, a resident and former Montague councillor, filed a complaint against Coun. Martina MacDonald alleging McDonald should not have voted on a proposal for a 40-unit apartment building on Robertson Road because of her connections to the people behind the project.Article contentArticle contentMacBeth pointed out that MacDonald works for Active Communities Inc., a non-profit that helps fund small businesses and housing projects in the area. The town has a formal agreement (an MOU) with Active Communities to work together on economic development.Article content‘Three conflicts’Article contentMacBeth also said MacDonald had sold land in the past to Anchor Construction, a company involved in the Robertson Road project, and helped arrange funding for the apartments. She said that because MacDonald works with developers and sits on the town’s economic development committee, she could not be unbiased when voting on the project.Article content“I see there’s three conflicts — with the owner, with the developer and with the non-profit, because when you’re involved in that type of building partnerships and building community, you become biased,” she said.Article content“Councillors must remain at arm’s length and not vote on anything that has ties to one personally or professionally. And I do believe Councillor Alan Monroe stepped aside because of his involvement with Bogside at that same meeting.”Article contentArticle contentDenies conflictArticle contentMacDonald denied any wrongdoing. She said she did not personally benefit from the project and was not directly involved in funding it through Active Communities.Article content“You say I have close relations with Mark and Randy. Mark is not the developer on this project. He’s not the applicant on this project,” she said.Article content“Was I in conflict of interest? Directly, I don’t feel on this particular project that I was at all. So, I didn’t step out. To be honest, I didn’t think about it that much.”Article contentShe explained that she only spoke about the project at a May 26 meeting because another councillor asked her to at the last minute. She said she was just sharing information, not pushing for approval.Article contentMacDonald was asked to step away for council to discuss and vote on the conflict-of-interest complaint.Article content Three Rivers council voted June 9 to send a conflict-of-interest complaint about a councillor to lawyers for review. Photo by File /The GuardianArticle contentSplit opinionArticle contentThe council was split on whether MacDonald broke the rules. Coun. Anne Van Donkersgoed said MacDonald did nothing wrong because she didn’t make money from the project.
Resident alleges Three Rivers councillors ties to developers breach conflict rules
