VilleraySaint-MichelParc-Ex mayor blocked from speaking with borough officials, booted from Projet caucus

The mayor ofVilleray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension,GiulianaFumagalli, has been barred from speaking with borough officials, pending aninvestigationinto allegations of harassment made against her.

Montreal MayorValriePlantemade the announcement Friday at city hall, saying she was taking the step as a result of alleged"inappropriate behaviour" by the borough mayordating back to May.

Plantealso kickedFumagalliout of theProjetMontralcaucus.

Though there was mediation and a signed agreement made between those involved thisspring, new allegations were brought toPlante'sattention on Thursday.That sparkedher decision to isolateFumagallifrom borough staff.

"She cannot have contact with anyone at this point for the time of the inquiry," said Plante. "Our intention is to make sure there is no contact whatsoever."

Fumagallihas been offered a workspace at Montreal's city hall in the interim as she is still the mayor of the borough and, for now, remains a member of Plante's party.

Montreal's mayor does not have the power toremove an elected official from office, but Plante'sspokesperson toldCBCNews thatProjetMontralistaking steps to expel Fumagalli from the party.

Fumagalliresponds

Fumagallipushed back in a Facebook post Friday afternoon, sayingthe most recent allegation of inappropriate behaviour against her has nothing to do with harassment. She says the conflict is political.

She said she may have pushed too hard at first, but says borough administratorsare used to the "old way of doing things" and resisted change.

The issues causing contention, she said, are the quality of some apartment buildings and how construction of the newUniversit de Montralcampus is affecting residents.

"Transparencyaround municipal decisionsregarding deadlines and civicengagement needs serious improvement," she said in her Facebook post.

Fumagallialso said she wasn't surprised by Plante'sdecision, noting their relationship has been icy.

"That said, I trust her in how things will continue to unfold and in her decision-making in this difficult process," she added.

Allegations date back to May

Voluntarymediation involving Fumagalliwas held soon after the initial allegations were made, said Plante.

Its aim was ensuring the work environment is "respectful" and "harmonious" for borough employees. An agreement was signed followingthemediation.

"New allegations were brought to my attention yesterday that causes me to consider that the agreement has not been fully respected," Plante said Friday. "From there, we're taking the next step."

Based on the new information, Plante said she has no choice but to removeFumagallifrom her caucus whilea "full inquiry" into the allegations is conducted.

Plante said the city cannot reveal details of the allegations because it is a human resources matter. She cited a code of ethics the city adoptedin December, which covers both city employees and politicians.

In May,Fumagalliasked to work from home and apologized publicly after theallegations were made against her.

"Citizens need to be reassured that the work has been done and continues to be done despite everything that is happening,"Fumagallisaid in May.

In a statement issued Friday, the citysaid comptroller and head of compliance, Yves Grimard, will now beinvestigating the "working climate" within Fumagalli's borough.

Grimardwill also serve as her point of contact for communicating with the borough officials she is supposed to avoid.

Working to provide 'the best services'

Addressing the citizens ofVilleray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension,Planteinsisted that her administration will "work tirelessly" to offer the "best services to build a better neighbourhood."

She said she spoke with the other elected officials of the borough to ensure they work hand-in-hand todeliveron that promise.

"The City of Montreal is making every effort to create ahealthy, respectful workenvironment," the city said in its statement."Well-being and respect for all is a priority."

Perez blasts mayor, says borough is 'in crisis'

"The climate in this borough is unlivable," Perez said. "We have a cabinet director who is taking an early retirement and we have a political attach who has taken sick leave."

Since these allegations against the borough mayor came to light, Perez said his party has been concerned not only with the way Plantehashandled the situation, but also with the lack of transparency.

For 10 weeks, Perez said the opposition has been asking for more details, but no answers were provided.

Perez questioned the effectiveness of separating the borough mayor fromstaff by moving her to city hall when there are other ways, such as telephone, to harass employees.

Quebec's municipal commission is "the only institution that has the authority to suspend or investigate elected officials in Quebec," said Perez. He added that the city comptroller has no authority over elected officials.

Plante's methods only prolonged the matter, said Perez. "She's shown a lack of judgment in this case."