Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann is declining comment for now on a court action accusing her of a conflict of interest in voting on the decision to build the $100 million arena/events centre on The Kingsway.
Laundry-Atlmann said at Wednesday's city budget meeting that she hasn't had a chance to read the accusations, but may comment once she has and the budget process has been completed.
A prominent opponent of The Kingsway arena filed the court documents Dec. 4, accusing Laundry-Altmann of having a financial interest the decision to locate the arena on The Kingsway, made in June of this year.
Andre Dumais, who resigned from the chamber of commerce earlier this year so he could campaign against moving the arena out of downtown Sudbury, launched the proceedings in Sudbury.
He says Landry-Altmann was in a pecuniary conflict of interest when she took part in the decision to locate the arena on The Kingsway.
Dumais says in the documents that Landry-Altmann sits on the board of directors of the Sudbury District Motorsports Association, a non-profit board working to establish a facility on land adjacent to the arena, hotel and casino complex being dubbed The Kingsway Entertainment District.
Dumais says Landry-Altmann violated the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and wants her removed from office and barred from running for council for seven years, and to recover his court costs.
He points out that Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier declared a conflict “due to his involvement with the motor sports industry and abstained from the vote.”
In a message, Dumais said he tried to report the complaint to the city's wrongdoing hotline and was told to seek legal advice, so he made the court filing.
He believes Landry-Altmann is in violation of Section 2 (ii) of the act, which says that someone could be found to have an indirect pecuniary interest if they have “a controlling interest in or is a director or senior officer of, a corporation that offers its securities to the public.”
The case will be heard in Sudbury next month.
