Brockville City Council Votes to Reprimand Mayor Wren After Integrity Commissioner’s Report

Brockville – At last night’s city council meeting, council voted unanimously to reprimand Brockville Mayor Matt Wren after the city’s Integrity Commissioner recommendation that the mayor violated council’s code of conduct.

The investigation was brought about by William McKinnon after a dispute with the Mayor over the 2025 Santa Claus Parade.

McKinnon made eight allegations that Mayor Wren violated the Code of Conduct and Municipal Conflict of Interest Act in connection with the decisions concerning this year’s Santa Claus parade in a written complaint to the Integrity Commissioner on September 1st.

In a media release sent to local media, McKinnon stated, “Brockville resident Bill McKinnon is urging City Council to uphold the Integrity Commissioner’s findings regarding the Mayor’s conduct and to impose the maximum available sanction under Ontario law — suspension of remuneration for up to 90 days.”

The city’s Integrity Commissioner, Ellen Fry from ADR Chambers, did the investigation and, after talking to Mr. McKinnon, the Mayor and the City’s Manager, stated that, “I determined that 4 of the 8 allegations did not, on their face, indicate non-compliance with the Code of Conduct or Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. Accordingly, I have not investigated these 4 allegations.”

The City Manager stated at last night’s council meeting that the council had three options: Accept the report and no action, Accept the report and reprimand or suspension of pay.

City council choose, accepts and reprimands.

The Mayor declared a conflict of interest and recused himself and left the chamber while the council decided.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mayor Wren released a statement, “I acknowledge that my reaction represented a moment of poor judgment. I regret this and accept the criticism,” he went on to say, he accepts the integrity commissioner’s report, adding it confirms he did not misuse his office to influence staff decisions.

The Integrity Commissioner concluded that Mayor Wren violated section 7.0 of the Code of Conduct on 2 counts:

By trying to intimidate Mr. McKinnon’s wife by applying pressure at her place of work, and

By failing to treat members of the public with respect by referring to them using the • term “wackadoodle”

In section 15.0 of the Code of Conduct, the Municipal Act, 2001 authorizes Council to impose either of the two following penalties on a member of Council following a report by the Integrity Commissioner that, in her or his opinion, there has been a violation of the Code of Conduct.

Council’s governance committee, which includes the mayor, Councillor Wales, Councillor Katherine Hobbs and city clerk Sheena Earl, will now write the letter of reprimand, with Wren expected to recuse himself again.