The July 20 edition of the Beacon Star carried a front page article titled Tempers flare from noise over kids camp. In the article, reporter Sarah Bissonette claimed that I called councillor Chidley a “bastard” during a heated debate at a July 16 Seguin Township council meeting.
This claim is completely untrue. I did not call Chidley a “bastard”; nor did I use any other profane term; nor did Chidley.
I am aware that as a municipal politician I need to have a tough skin. While the North/Beacon Star usually gets it right, I have learned that sometimes I will be misquoted; and sometimes my comments will be taken out of context. I can live with this. Accordingly, I rarely write letters of complaint to the editor. However, the alleged use of profanity really hurt me. It is an invalid reflection on my character and personal code of behaviour.
The Beacon Star owes me an apology and a retraction.
I am proud of the achievements of Seguin council. There are many opportunities to report “good news” stories about Seguin Township. However, this rarely happens. For whatever reason, reporter Bissonette seems to have an agenda to perpetuate the myth that Seguin council meetings are always argumentative, adversarial, and confrontational. This is flat out not true.
David Conn
Mayor
Township of Seguin
(Editor’s note: In a poll of council members, Coun. Alex Chidley insists the altercation did happen as reported. Two other members of council said they didn’t hear the word used by the mayor. Two insisted it did not happen and would be out of character for the mayor. One could not be reached for comment.)