Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens holds up a copy of the council Code of Conduct during the meeting on May 7, 2018. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens holds up a copy of the council Code of Conduct during the meeting on May 7, 2018. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.
Windsor

Dilkens On Email Alias: 'There's Nothing To Hide Here'

Windsor's mayor says he is doing nothing improper when it concerns communication with his staff.

Reports published Wednesday indicated that Mayor Drew Dilkens uses an alias when it comes to electronic communications with other city officials, a revelation that has raised a few eyebrows from people concerned about transparency.

The email account was revealed through a public records request filed on a different matter. The mayor goes by the alias "Andrew Ray" on emails sent to others within city government. The alias is pulled from Dilkens' given first name and part of his middle name.

Dilkens took time to respond to the story Thursday, telling reporters that he uses an alias to sort communications regarding internal city matters. He says this is a common practice among many political figures who have a presence on the Internet and social media and insists he is doing nothing wrong.

"If I ever had a hint of concern, I never would have done it in the first place," says Dilkens, "This is a practice that is used by every MPP, every MP, every leader in a political party. You cannot simply have an email address where the public are sending all of their concerns to you. You can't address those concerns in a timely manner."

Dilkens says there are often confidential and sensitive communications he has with the police and fire chiefs as well as the heads of other city departments.

"I'm no different. I'm no different from my predecessor [Eddie Francis], who used different email addresses from his time as mayor, and I will continue to use the mail address that I have," says Dilkens. "I think it's the right thing to do to be able to serve the residents properly and to keep the business of the corporation of the city of Windsor moving forward."

Dilkens says there is no way he would be able to sneak a private email through anyway since he is required under the Ontario Municipal Act to disclose all pertinent information concerning public records requests.

Published reports show that some legal experts believe an investigation by the integrity commissioner is in order. The mayor says bring it on.

"One can go to the integrity commissioner and file an investigation. In fact, I have communications through my email account with the integrity commissioner, [Bruce Elman]. So there's nothing to hide here. I will continue to operate the way that I have, which is in the best interest of the City of Windsor."

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