Owen Sound City Hall. (photo by Matt Hermiz/Bayshore Broadcasting)
Owen Sound Coun. John Tamming was defiant and unapologetic as council voted unanimously to formally reprimand him, in line with a recommendation from the city’s Integrity Commissioner after it investigated a complaint filed by Deputy Mayor Brian O’Leary.
City council resolved in a 7-0 vote at Monday’s meeting to publicly reprimand Tamming after the Integrity Commissioner concluded he violated council’s code of conduct and engaged in “harassing and bullying” actions towards the deputy mayor through threats of litigation and counter complaints.
Neither Tamming or O’Leary voted on the motion, which was moved by Mayor Ian Boddy.
O’Leary left council chambers prior to the deputation from Principles Integrity, which acts as Owen Sound’s Integrity Commissioner, saying the “report speaks for me.”
Tamming read prepared remarks, rejecting the conclusions of the Integrity Commissioner and asserting his view that “the very person who is subject to vitriol and nastiness is the one being sanctioned.”
“My sin this evening of which I stand convicted? I publicly called out, in a very public and deliberate manner, a bully,” Tamming says. “I called out a councillor who repeatedly launched ad hominem attacks in this chamber and outside of it.”
Tamming went on to say: “before I publicly called him out I pressed him repeatedly for an apology. I pressed him hard. And this is called harassment. With all respect, give me a break.”
O’Leary filed a complaint with the Integrity Commissioner on Sept. 29, 2020, after a statement by Tamming titled “An Open Letter to City Council: Councillor Brian O’Leary and the Politics of Intimidation” was featured in a local online publication.
The Integrity Commissioner concluded in its report that Coun. Tamming contravened provisions of parts 10 and 12 of council’s code of conduct, pertaining to media communications and respectful workplace.
It also found that Coun. Tamming “intentionally and deliberately” conducted targeted attacks against O’Leary.
“We find that the Deputy Mayor’s characterization that Councillor Tamming ‘engaged in a crusade to publicly discredit and humiliate him’ is substantiated on the facts,” the report from Principles Integrity says.
Coun Scott Greig says he supports the finding of the Integrity Commissioner on the reprimand.
“You do ask good questions Coun. Tamming. That’s the part I appreciate which you bring forward,” Greig explains. “And I hope that moving forward that is our focus.”
Coun. Carol Merton: “As I read your report it appears that individual actions have overshadowed the issues that concern council’s effective decision-making. Personalities and individual communication styles have distracted the focus of council away from moving city business forward.”
Mayor Boddy asked the Integrity Commissioner about process: “I assume in fairness you would have sent out your report to Coun. Tamming to be able to refute or give you any evidence or any paperwork you hadn’t seen before? I assume that would have gone out earlier than your release date?”
Jeffery Abrams from Principles Integrity says a draft report was sent to Coun. Tamming at the end of February and they asked for a response by March 15.
Boddy followed up: “After you sent that out was there any further evidence or documentation provided to you by Coun. Tamming that you have not looked at?”
Abrams says they had several exchanges with Coun. Tamming in which he expressed concerns about “our jurisdiction, our professionalism, the contents of the report.”
“We answered those concerns, asked him to read the report, asked him to respond with reference to particular paragraph numbers in the report,” Abrams recalls. “And as I said earlier, nothing else was forthcoming.”
The investigation into the complaint cost the city around $6,100.
