Sanctioned Vermilion mayor Greg Throndson says he will do anger management and wants to make instalment payments on a $7,129 bill which the town’s administration says was incurred for damaging a door.
While council sanctioned the mayor for other matters, the disqualification of the elected official is due to Throndson owing the bill of over $500 for more than 90 days.
The mayor has been sanctioned which includes removal from financial matters but is still able to vote.
Throndson, who was on a tractor on Friday, May 10 amid seeding season is owning his non-mayor behaviour.
“The sanctions and the disqualification are two different things. The sanctions were brought against me for some behaviour issues of mine. The non-mayor, Greg Throndson comes out every once in a while, and I must realize that I’m a mayor 24 hours a day. I appreciate that the council is looking out for the interests of council and the town, and putting me in my place,” says Throndson.
The mayor says he has a temper and jokes if you put a hockey stick in his hand, he is actually worse. But he appreciates the code of conduct and what the council had to do.
“I have to make sure that I am mayor Throndson all the time around everybody – friends or foes. I have to maintain the proper respect and dignity at all times.”
Throndson is appealing the sanctions to get it down to about three to six months so he can get back to fully doing the job of mayor. He sees going to anger management as making “Greg a better person.”
“I will go to anger management as soon as I get off this tractor. I’m hoping this summer we will have some time.”
Facing disqualification or resignation over the bill for the door repairs, the mayor has been disqualified. The paperwork is “in the works” for that matter to go before King’s Bench.
“The court decides whether I’m disqualified, still a councillor or just throws it out. I plan on starting to make payments on the bill, but it’s up to council on what they want to do going ahead,” says Throndson.
Given the wait time to get before a judge, Throndson says the legal advice he has received is to deal with this at the local level.
Presented with the analogy of a student who breaks a door at school, is then sanctioned, and sent to counselling, Throndson says that he has “a fuse and it went off in a very tense situation.”
“I am an adult and I have to act with dignity in public whether I am upset or not. We must find common ground on a door that is 20-years old. Is it the cost of doing business? Is it taxpayers’ money? Is it, I broke it – fix it?”
Throndson apologized to the community at council’s meeting on Tuesday, May 7 and admitted his fault.
“I had a piece of humble pie the other night. I’m fine with that. Humility is a very strong characteristic in great people. We will move on as a council, and I will accept whatever council decides to do.”