Sandy Carpenter of Orillia is a self-proclaimed recycling nut who cares deeply for the environment. That's why she joined Orillia's Waste Advisory Committee (WMAC).
Then she saw Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac publicly endorse Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative (PC) government prior to the Feb. 27 provincial election. His endorsement was posted to the PC party's Instagram page and Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop's social media.
"I feel that it's unethical," she said.
Quitting the WMAC is her personal protest to this action.
"I gave up something that was important to me to make a statement. I liked being on that committee. I really enjoyed it," she said.
Her letter of resignation, included in the Mar. 3 council information package, reads, "In light of the mayor's public endorsement for Doug Ford in this election, please accept my resignation from WMAC. This is unacceptable and I can't work for a municipality that allows this unethical behaviour."
Carpenter she couldn't stand back and do nothing.
"I feel he has broke the code of conduct in a few places," she told OrilliaMatters.
The city's code of conduct states that public officials are not to extend "preferential treatment to family members, organizations or groups in which they or their family member have a personal interest."
"He obviously has a personal interest in the PC party, so to me that's incompatible with the ethical discharge of official duties," said Carpenter.
The end of McIsaac's endorsement reads, "I urge all of you to join me and support Premier Ford and his government to give him the mandate he needs to keep Ontario strong, prosperous and a place we all want to live."
"Is it ethical for a mayor to try and influence the citizens of his riding to vote for a political party? I don't think so," said Carpenter. "The mayor has power. He knows he commands that influence and that, just on an ethical basis, was just wrong in my opinion."
Carpenter, who says she is in the process of putting in a formal complaint with the city's integrity commissioner says the issue is impartiality.
"He needs to act in an impartial manner and that was not impartial. That is why I resigned," Carpenter said.
Jeffrey Abrams, the city's integrity commissioner, said he could not comment specifically on Carpenter's concerns.
"I can't tell you now whether any particular member of council breached the code of conduct without looking at all the circumstances including what their own response might be to it," Abrams said.
It's a step-by-step process, Abrams explained. The complaint comes in, the team assesses it, and makes a decisions about whether there is going to be an investigation or not. If they investigate and if they make findings against a member, which they think is substantial, then they report to council.
"I don't want you to suggest that is likely," he said. "Given our statutory obligation for secrecy, we neither confirm nor deny whether complaints have been received by us. "
Mayor McIsaac did not respond to several requests, over multiple days, to comment on this story.