Council rules and accountability are tested when hot mics capture missteps
OPINION — Hot mics are unforgiving. One slip can undo years of steady work and put a council in damage control mode fast.
That is what happened in Smiths Falls this month.
Coun. Jay Brennan was suspended with pay from council meetings for 45 days after council ruled he had breached the town’s code of conduct following inappropriate comments picked up on their live video following the Jan. 5 meeting. The clip was later removed and council acted based on conduct standards, not intent.keep i
Once council made that finding, it had to respond. Rules exist for a reason, and councillors know the microphones are always on.
The public never heard the full context of the comments. Council did not discuss who they were about or what was meant. With that information missing, assumptions filled the gap and reactions ensued.
Brennan did not respond to a request for comment after the Jan. 5 incident, but he wrote an email on Jan. 22 to the mayor, council and staff which was addressed as a correspondence item at the Jan. 26 meeting. He wrote that he planned to donate the equivalent of 45 days of his council pay to the Heritage House Museum. It was presented as a personal decision, and it may well have been made in good faith. In the town’s 2025 budget, council allocated roughly $249,000 in operating funding for the Heritage House Museum.
Councillors are paid an annual salary by the town, and this time, Brennan’s pay will continue during his suspension. In practical terms, the money still comes from municipal funds. Redirecting an equivalent amount to a town supported institution may feel like accountability, but it also blurs the lines.
That concern surfaced at this week’s meeting when Coun. Chris McGuire said the situation showed why the Integrity Commissioner process exists. It may be slower and more expensive, but it is clear, independent and consistent.
His point was not about going harder on anyone. It was about avoiding workarounds that create more confusion than closure.
None of this excuses what led to the suspension. Councillors are expected to meet conduct standards. Muting a microphone is part of the job.
But good governance is not helped by guesswork or symbolic fixes. It is helped by clear rules, clear processes and decisions that stand up without explanation. That may not always be the easiest route. But it is usually the better one.
Read more articles and opinions by Laurie Weir.
