Sarnia to pay $75,000 to separate mayor from city staff

Sarnia's city councillors voted to build a special wing in the Town Hall to separate municipal employees from Mayor Mike Bradley.

Bradley's office will stay at city hall, but he will be separated from the municipal employees by doors with electronic locks.

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An investigation, completed in October, concluded the mayor had intimidated and harassed at least four municipal employees. Last month, council decided to relocate the Mayor's office to a neighbouring building, but now council says that move would expose other city employees to the mayor. 

The new plan, proposed by an ad hoc group including the municipal engineer André Morin and the municipal director Marg Misek-Evans, will cost at least $ 75,000.

The money will come from a fund that was intended especially for the construction of a new roof for the municipal library.

Councillors who spoke on Monday evening were exhausted by the many developments of what became a lengthy saga involving the mayor.

Only Councilor Dave Boushy opposed the proposal.

"[The mayor's office] is the most confidential office in the building," he said. "There is no need for us to change."