AM800 CKLW
TERESINHA MEDEIROS
Wednesday, May 9th 2018
Another complaint has been filed with the city of Windsor’s integrity commissioner.
Downtown Windsor business owner Jon Liedtke filed a complaint Wednesday against Mayor Drew Dilkens claiming Dilkens is violating the city’s Code of Conduct by blocking him on Twitter.
Liedtke believes the mayor is suppressing people’s rights and depriving them from accessing information.
“This is akin to the mayor saying to someone, ‘you are not allowed to come into city council, you are not allowed to call our office, we are not taking your calls’,” he says.
Liedtke is seeking clarity on whether the mayor has the authority to block someone and who owns the social media accounts.
For his part, Mayor Dilkens welcomes the investigating pointing out he has only blocked five people on Twitter, in a population of 230,000 people and he only blocks people after consulting with corporate security.
“I know the mayor’s position is a lightning rod for many people and we take our security very seriously at city hall.”
Liedtke decided to file the complaint after Mayor Dilkens gave a speech at Windsor City Council Monday night regarding free speech. Liedtke says what is good for the goose, is good for the gander.
“They don’t like free speech is what it sounds like to some people in this community,” he says. “We now have a city council because of this Code of Conduct where if you are councillor or elected official, you can toe the company line with what the city says or you can shut up.”
Dilkens says he only blocks people when ‘it becomes degrading, bullying, intimidating or harassment,” and he points out that Liedtke can still communicate with him on Facebook.
Liedtke says it cost him $20 to file the complaint because he had to have a paralegal notarize it.
He says it costs the city $300/hour for the integrity commissioner to investigate the complaint.
Official Complaint Filed Against Windsor’s Mayor (iheartradio.ca)
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