“It troubles me to hear demeaning, insulting and disrespectful conduct towards a fellow council member from a chair of the committee, when all she really requested was information about a concern she had,” Coun. Kelly McCaw told Coun. Ryan Williams (left) at Monday night’s city council meeting. Fhoto by Max Reid, QNet News
BELLEVILLE – Belleville Coun. Ryan Williams walked out of the council chambers Monday over an issue regarding comments he directed at Mayor Mitch Panciuk and Coun. Pat Culhane in a letter he read out at a meeting last month.
Coun. Kelly McCaw raised a point of personal privilege and called for Williams to apologize for the comments.
Culhane “should not be openly demeaned, chastised, in a public forum,” McCaw said. At the December meeting of the economic and destination development committee, committee chair Williams “read a public statement accusing the mayor of ruining Christmas for his committee and further calling him Grinch-like. I raised the issue immediately because I felt it was grossly inappropriate then and it’s still inappropriate today,” she said.
The mayor asked Williams to apologize. He and Williams then argued over what the next step should be.
Williams refused to apologize and Panciuk asked him to leave the chambers.
After the meeting Panciuk said this discussion was no surprise for Williams.
“I spoke to Coun. Williams about it in December – I sent him an email this week. I said, ‘Look, this is coming. I prefer it not to come. That’s part of what we want to do – just get up, make an apology, and we’ll be done.’ He never replied back at all.” he said.
“I hope that he will learn from this. And he should be more careful with the words he uses to describe other councillors.”
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