One city councillor says he won't let the resurfacing of Mayor Matt Brown's affair with Councillor Maureen Cassidy get in the way of council business.
Councillor Phil Squire made the comment a day after CTV News released emails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act that revealed Brown's preferential treatment of Cassidy.
"We are doing our business, we are doing our work, and we are moving forward," says Squire. "But it is unfair to ignore these things when they come out. I want people to know that it doesn't effect my work and I doubt that it effects anyone else's work."
The emails were exchanged in the spring before the affair was made public. They show instances in which Brown gives Cassidy opportunities over other councillors for leadership advancement.
"I know they had a close relationship on council, I know they were allies on council so it's not a total surprise that they would be exchanging emails," says Squire. "The frankness of them is a little disconcerting in some respects but this is what they choose to do."
Even with this latest development, Squire doesn't feel an investigation by the integrity commissioner is warranted.
"The people that really will judge it are the voters in two years," says Squire. "Voters, the people who elected us, will say 'look, we are okay with this, and we are not okay with that.' At the end of the day, that's the best venue."
Brown and Cassidy admitted to having an “inappropriate personal relationship” in June, which resulted in both taking temporary leaves of absence. Brown returned to the job a week later, while Cassidy didn't come back to city hall until late August.