Pictou councillor resigns after clashing with town CAO

Haley Ryan · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 27, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

A Pictou town councillor has resigned his spot aft conscionable 5 months connected the job, saying that the municipality's apical bureaucrat utilized a codification of behaviour ailment to propulsion him out.

Matt Harris won a assembly spot successful the October 2024 municipal predetermination aft moving backmost to his hometown of Pictou with his household successful 2023 pursuing a vocation successful the army.

But Harris said helium soon wasn't impressed by however main administrative officer Kyle Slaunwhite ran the medication of the town.

Harris said helium often had questions that the CAO did not answer, and Slaunwhite was insulted erstwhile helium asked for supporting documents connected some issues.

A fewer situations were mishandled, Harris said, similar miscommunications betwixt unit departments impacting a assemblage event. 

"I was trying to, you know, mentor him a small mode to say, 'hey, we tin get done this, this is from my acquisition — I deliberation that we tin rectify this,'" Harris said Wednesday.

"And I deliberation his ego benignant of kicked maine retired a small spot and it caused immoderate problems, you know, betwixt our enactment relationship."

The CAO saw things differently. He emailed Harris successful November to pass him that a caller email speech had contravened the caller Nova Scotia-wide codification of behaviour for municipal officials brought successful by the state the erstwhile month.

"By stating that you cannot instrumentality my word, implies that you cannot spot me," Slaunwhite wrote successful the email, which Harris provided to CBC News. "I person done nothing, that I americium aware, to marque you mistrust me. Any aboriginal insinuations that I americium untrustworthy volition effect successful a filing with our investigators."

On March 3, Slaunwhite lodged a ailment against Harris nether six sections of the caller codification of conduct.

They authorities a assembly member:

• Must not nonstop oregon influence, oregon effort to nonstop oregon power immoderate municipal employees successful the workout of their duties.
• Must not assertion to talk connected behalf of council.
• Must respect the relation of CAO and indispensable not impact themselves directly.
• Must beryllium respectful of the CAO and staff.
• Must not nonstop municipal employees but done the CAO.
• Must not undertake immoderate enactment of reprisal oregon endanger reprisal against a complainant.

The ailment alleged that Harris met with nationalist works unit extracurricular due channels, and erstwhile Slaunwhite pulled him speech to speech astir it, Harris told the CAO helium was his "boss" and could bash what helium pleased. 

Lawyer decided ailment had merit to investigate

The CAO besides alleged Harris gave him absorption personally and "implied that I needed to travel his orders." Slaunwhite besides said Harris, after being told a ailment was laid, threatened his job by saying he should "start updating [his] resume."

A lawyer with Burchell MacDougall successful Truro received the claim and connected March 12 wrote to Harris to archer him an probe would beryllium starting. The lawyer wrote that the CAO's assertion "has merit" and was not frivolous oregon vexatious.

Although Harris said helium doesn't judge helium broke the rules, helium handed successful his resignation a fewer days later.

"It seemed similar it was specified a debased happening to bash alternatively of conscionable coming and moving with me.… All these problems that I explained could person been done and solved implicit a cupful of coffee," Harris said.

"I felt similar this codification of behaviour was utilized against maine successful bid to, you know, propulsion maine out." 

Harris said helium resigned due to the fact that adjacent if the probe recovered helium hadn't breached the codification of conduct, it would beryllium a achy process that wouldn't alteration his narration with the CAO.

The probe was dropped erstwhile Harris resigned. Consequences for breaking the codification are decided by council, and could see an apology letter, a good of up to $1,000, oregon removal from municipal committees for a fewer months.

CBC News reached retired to Slaunwhite for remark but did not person a response.

Mayor Jim Ryan said helium had been alert of issues betwixt Harris and the CAO, but was amazed to spot Harris resign. 

"I deliberation it's important erstwhile idiosyncratic runs for assembly that they recognize precisely what the relation is of a municipality councillor, and I deliberation that was a situation for [Harris] sometimes," Ryan said Wednesday.

Ryan said helium "absolutely" has religion successful the CAO and however Slaunwhite dealt with Harris and the complaint.

Although the probe wasn't carried retired successful this case, Ryan said the caller codification of behaviour is simply a adjuvant instrumentality for assemblage members, unit and councillors if problems can't beryllium resolved.

"I deliberation it's an indicator that the codification of behaviour was needed, and that it's working," Ryan said.

The municipality has budgeted astir $20,000 for the byelection to capable Harris's seat.

Candidate nominations adjacent May 27 and predetermination time volition beryllium June 21.