SooToday received the following letter to the editor from Jeffrey Broadbent in response to calls for the mayor and police services board chair to resign.
It is understandable that members of the community are concerned about the current deficit with the police service. I share that concern. I also share the desire to have a new Police Service Board (PSB) to fix the problem.
Indeed, the PSB is mandated by the legislation to provide estimates to the municipality for funding purposes. Clearly, the estimates of the old board have been incongruent with real needs. It’s time for a new board, a fresh look and to manage this crisis.
To that end, we are well on the way to having that new board now.
Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and Chair Nuala Kenny are new to the board as of only February 25, 2025, and the province will be appointing a further two new board members.
Shoemaker and Kenny are extraordinary people of effective service to this community. They are people of integrity, and they follow the rules.
However, it is deeply concerning that others have not followed the customary rules. The hiring process of a new chief is generally a confidential process, or rather it is supposed to be.
This is to protect the integrity of the process, and the privacy of individuals involved. The identities of applicants, particularly those not selected, are generally not made public, only information about the selection process, criteria used, and the qualifications are public.
Accordingly, it is deeply troubling that two former PSB members would divulge what is by custom confidential. Even more troubling however are the allegations of those members disparaging Mayor Shoemaker and by implication Nuala Kenny with unsupported allegations.
It’s ripe that MacKenzie alleges Mayor Shoemaker made accusations “with no supporting facts” right after MacKenzie himself alleges “outrageous political interference and vindictiveness” and yet MacKenzie provides “no supporting facts”! What are the facts, Mr. MacKenzie, that support this allegation of “political interference and vindictiveness”?
If there were such facts one would expect you to provide them in accordance with your own rule.
Moreover, Bruno alleges “acts of bullying, manipulation and censorship”, but again, to borrow from MacKenzie, “with no supporting facts”.
To be sure, this is becoming an embarrassing and distracting sideshow. Mayor Shoemaker and Chair Kenny are following the process in accordance with the rules. It is grotesquely unfair to smear these individuals with unfounded allegations.
If Bruno and MacKenzie really believe there was “bullying” or “political interference and vindictiveness”, they have the recourse of submitting a complaint to the Integrity Commissioner who is mandated by law to investigate and report to Council for potential sanctions by Council.
To put it bluntly, put up or shut up and let the board get on with the process of hiring a new chief.
As Mayor Shoemaker noted, at Council meeting on May 12, 2025, City Council had an understandably long list of questions and concerns that the board chair was unable to fully answer. Two months later, rather than providing responses to Council, the Chair and Vice Chair instead provided their resignations.
Their long service to the community is appreciated, but indeed as others have called for, it is time for a new board and that we have. Let the new PSB do its job without distraction, disrespect and disparagement, and let them complete the hiring process of chief.
It's also worth noting the PSB meetings are public and recorded. Citizens can review this and see no evidence of bullying or political interference.
Jeffrey D. Broadbent
Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.