Ethical violations: Mayor of Saint-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson suspended

The mayor of the town of Saint-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson, in the Laurentians, has been suspended for 30 days by the Commission Municipal du Québec (CMQ) in addition to receiving a $4,000 fine for ethics violations.

The mayor, Gilles Boucher, had committed four violations of the city's code of ethics and professional conduct for elected officials, as we can read in the CMQ decision issued on January 26.

In June 2022, the employee would have been required to send a statement of violation or letter of non-compliance to the company. Then, between June and July 2022, he intervened directly with an employee of the Environmental Center to tell him that it was acceptable for the citizen to deposit the food scraps without compensation. Around April 2023, the mayor pressured a citizen to transfer or sell part of his land to the municipality, we can also read. Finally, since the general election in November 2021, on several occasions and with regularity, he has received and dealt with citizen complaints and requests personally rather than respecting the established process that stipulates that such requests should be directed to Public Works.

Gilles Boucher cooperated with the committee's investigation and pleaded guilty to all charges against him.

He admitted “to be overly involved in the administration of the municipality, taking into account the well-being of the municipality and its residents” and indicated his “intention to make changes aimed at avoiding interference in the work of the administration”, we can also read in the document.

Gilles Boucher received a 30-day suspension, starting February 3, “without pay, allowance, or any other amount that he could receive from the municipality or another organization.”

He will also have to pay the city of Saint-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson a $1,000 fine for each of his violations, for a total of $4,000.