The District of Sechelt has now responded to the civil claim filed by former corporate officer Margi Nicholas, denying all of her allegations.
Nicholas filed a civil claim in B.C. Supreme Court last month alleging the District owed her thousands in compensation for defamation of character and damages related to the manner of her dismissal in July. Nicholas also alleged that Mayor Bruce Milne had a “personal vendetta” against her and that he bullied her while she worked for the District.
The District’s response to the civil suit denies any bullying ever took place, and Milne told Coast Reporter he originally contemplated filing a defamation lawsuit against Nicholas for suggesting such a thing.
“The very first thing I did, of course, was check with legal counsel about defamation because I thought it was just so outrageous. And apparently court proceedings, and that includes the filing of statements of claim, have a qualified privilege,” Milne said.
“In the same way we sometimes allow qualified privilege inside the House of Commons or Legislature, people can say things in there that they’d never say outside. I can only assume that [Nicholas] knows that.”
On the issue of funds owed to Nicholas, the District’s response claims that not only did it provide her with an agreed-upon lump sum of $110,390.94 in August, but accidentally overpaid Nicholas by $1,170.18.
An invoice was sent to Nicholas to retrieve the overage, but she has yet to repay it, according to the District.
Also relating to money in the claim is the District’s allegation that Nicholas was given two bonuses and a large raise in 2014 by former chief of innovation and growth Ron Buchhorn, without authorization of council.
Milne said the issue was recorded in the District’s response to the civil claim “to set the record and to prepare a foundation for discussion of those things.”
He added: “We’re considering this overall situation because it’s a little bit broader than just Margi’s situation.”
Milne said the auditor general’s report for Sechelt made it clear that the former council “put the community at risk” with some of their processes.
“We’re finding that to be a common pattern. So there is, in this case, no demonstration there was authorization for some of the things that were done,” Milne said.
“Obviously they were done and we can look at whether or not they fit practice and whether they were within norms or not, but we can’t find the authorizations or the reasons why they would have occurred the way that they did. So we’re considering those things as part of a broader set of issues we’re looking at.”
As far as the lawsuit filed by Nicholas is concerned, Milne said the District will prepare for court and wait to see what happens next.
“The claimant has had a week to consider whether or not to respond to our defence and add anything or alter the claim in any way, and as far as we know that hasn’t happened,” Milne said.
Nicholas was contacted by Coast Reporter this week but declined to comment on the issue while it is before the courts.
