He still holds the top job in Stouffville, but Mayor Justin Altmann can no longer talk to his staff except by email.He can no longer go to his office during working hours except to collect mail, pay bills and attend council meetings.And he will be docked six months’ pay after his fellow councillors endorsed sanctions in two separate ethics complaints against him.In a heated meeting that ended late Tuesday night, the town council voted 5-1 to endorse most of the integrity commissioner’s recommendations from an investigation that found Altmann shared confidential in-camera information during a media interview, and another that found he contravened the town’s code of conduct when he failed to apologize for a “vexatious” CSI-style photo display of staff he put up in his office washroom.Read more:Whitchurch-Stouffville mayor docked six months’ pay, barred from talking to staffWomen demand to see secret threat assessment on Stouffville mayorStouffville mayor fails to apologize for CSI-style wall“We the council consider the protection of staff and public to be paramount,” said Councillor Maurice Smith, after emerging from the portion of the meeting that was held in-camera. “Council is disappointed that the mayor failed to take responsibility for his actions.”While his supporters were enraged, booing and jeering throughout the meeting, others say the town council had no choice but to take a hard line.“I couldn’t foresee any other solution, especially after he refused to apologize for the wall,” said Darlene Shaw, one of three women who were disturbed to find themselves on the washroom wall, and are asking for the release of a threat assessment done on the mayor last year in which he scored an 8 out of 10.“I am relieved that council have taken steps to protect staff,” she said, adding she doesn’t think “we will ever see that threat assessment.”The penalties were im ...
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