Brockton has appointed a new deputy mayor, following the resignation of James Lang from council.
Councillor Kym Hutcheon was sworn in as deputy mayor July 9.
Lang resigned from the deputy mayor’s seat following a third-party investigation and integrity commissioner’s report that asserted Lang had contravened a number of provisions of the code of conduct with his behaviour during a Walkerton Capitals hockey game on Dec. 16, 2023.
Lang is a co-owner and president of the Junior C hockey team.
According to Principles Integrity’s report, municipal staff working at the arena alleged Lang’s behaviour that evening included yelling, name calling, storming around angrily, slamming doors, and kicking and punching doors open.
During council’s June 18 meeting, Lang disputed allegations about that behaviour.
He said, “I’m not a criminal. If we’re going to tell a story, let’s tell the whole story. I asked a member of staff– and it’s not right– ‘How stupid can he be?’ That’s exactly what I said and 100 per cent wrong. What I said was wrong. I’ve admitted to that. I’ve said that now four times. I’m not a criminal.”
Lang said the allegations that he kicked and punched doors are “all false.”
Principles Integrity’s report says Lang noted he was acting as a hockey team manager at the time. They add in their findings, “The fact that the Capitals are the home team using a municipally-owned and operated facility may have given rise to some role conflation by the Deputy Mayor regarding his role at the facility.”
The commissioner was of the opinion that “A member of council does not get to ‘remove’ their hat as an elected official; so even while he may be donning his Capitals’ president’s hat, he cannot disrobe from his mantle of responsibility as Deputy Mayor.”
They added, “A member of council has no authority to oversee staff, and absolutely no authority or role to manage or chastise staff.”
Lang said June 18: “I do wear many hats, I do. And maybe that’s a detriment to me in this community. Maybe it is. All I want is what’s best for Brockton and what I want is what’s best for Walkerton.”
Principles Integrity said Lang contravened the Council Code of Conduct by making disparaging comments, publicly criticizing staff, failing to treat them with respect, and failing to adhere to policy.
Lang had been banned by council from the arena for one year while they waited on the investigation and integrity commissioner’s report.
On June 18, the same day Lang officially resigned, (though he had first announced an intention to resign in March, then chose to stay on, then in June, resigned) council also reconsidered that ban and amended it to allow Lang into the community centre and arena with his kids. The rest of the restrictions are set to end in January 2025.
Lang was first elected to council in 2018 and was appointed deputy mayor in 2022.
With Kym Hutcheon now appointed as deputy mayor, her council seat is due to be declared vacant at an August council meeting.
