A Superior Court Judge has dismissed a motion to remove an Essex town councillor from office.
Ron McDermott filed the motion claiming Councillor Randy Voakes breached the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act during a vote in September 2017 on the integrity commissioner's report.
The motion argued in court on Monday asked that Voakes vacate his seat and disqualify him from running in the next election. But, Justice Thomas Carey concluded Voakes did not breach the act and said, 'they didn't need a trip to court but a trip to the vice principal's office.'
Justice Carey said the application was unnecessary saying, "this behaviour and animosity has turned Essex Council, in the minds of many, into a circus."
He encouraged the two men to shake hands, put past history behind them and think of taxpayers.
Essex Mayor Ron McDermott outside of Superior Court in Windsor. March 2018 (Photo by AM800's Teresinha Medeiros)
But outside of Superior Court, McDermott voiced his frustrations calling the ruling 'terrible.'
"Do you know how many times we have been to the principal's office already? Already? The last step is the courtroom," he says. "This isn't the first time Councillor Voakes has broken the municipal act."
"Our council has put up with this gentleman for 14 years and our administration and council we can put up with it, I can put up with him. I don't treat him any different in the council chamber than anyone else."
Randy Voakes outside of Superior Court. March 2018 (Photo by AM800's Teresinha Medeiros)
Voakes says he didn't do anything wrong and the judge was correct in his decision.
"I don't always sugar coat stuff and I'm very punctual and to the point on my issues and whether you like that or dislike that, that's the way I am," says Voakes.
Voakes says he will go back to Essex and go back to working for the taxpayers again.
McDermott brought forth the motion in Superior Court as a taxpayer, not as mayor, and therefore not at the taxpayer's expense