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Reeve denies comments

Westlock County reeve Bud Massey denies criticizing county staff in a conversation with the mayor of the City of Charlottetown.

Westlock County reeve Bud Massey denies criticizing county staff in a conversation with the mayor of the City of Charlottetown.

Alleged comments from Massey surfaced when Charlottetown mayor Clifford Lee spoke out in support of former county CAO and current Charlottetown administrator Peter Kelly.

In an interview with CBC Prince Edward Island, Lee said Massey told him county CFO Sue Oberg was incorrect in her assessment that Kelly authorized $390,570 in non-budgeted spending to prepare a laydown yard for Horizon North.

“I questioned [the reeve] about the CFO’s comments in the media as well. His comment to me is, ‘She is dead wrong in what she has said,’” Lee told the CBC.

Massey confirmed he did speak with Lee over the phone, but denied making the comments.

“Those are not direct quotes from me,” Massey said. “I never said she was dead wrong with what she said. I never talked about Sue Oberg.”

The issue came to councillors’ attention June 14 when they were briefed that Kelly had breached the Municipal Government Act (MGA) by approving the spending without a council motion. The municipality stands to lose $200,000 on the deal.

Massey remains adamant there were no breaches of the MGA and that two council motions allowed administration to move ahead with work.

“Procedure may not have been followed. As far as breaches of the MGA, nothing has been proven,” Massey said.

“Unfortunately our motion did not say we were authorizing up to $55,000. Our motion was very open-ended and that council itself had erred in some of the lack of definition in some of our motions.”

The reeve would not elaborate on how his comments could have been misconstrued.

“I don’t want to get into a ‘he said, she said.’ I know that I did not say a derogatory comment about any of our staff,” Massey said.

“I’m not responsible for what someone else has said. I have no desire to get into a disagreement with somebody across the country.”

When reached by the Westlock News, Oberg said she was aware of the comments made in the CBC article, but declined to comment.

Oberg tendered her resignation from the county July 14 to take a position with Woodlands County. She said it had no relation to the reeve’s alleged comments.

Massey said it’s not his role to comment on employees either publicly or privately.

“I don’t believe my job as reeve is to slag any employee past or present. I don’t think it’s appropriate,” Massey said.

“It’s unfortunate all of this is going on and allegations are being made back and forth.

“I believe Westlock County is moving forward with business. It would be good if people allowed council to function and get the job done.”

Lee could not be reached for further comment.

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