The guardian of the ethics of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) finds himself in a potential conflict of interest since he simultaneously leads the City of Longueuil, learned The Press.
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
Sylvain Joly, chief lawyer for the STM, has been an elected municipal official in his South Shore district since 2013. But last fall, he was appointed to Mayor Catherine Fournier’s executive committee, the equivalent of a council municipal ministers. He is responsible for the traffic file.
This duplication of Mand Joly places him in a perilous situation, according to a former elected official who sat for 17 years on the board of directors of the STM. “Our code of ethics clearly states that we must not only avoid conflicts of interest, but also the appearance of conflicts of interest,” said Marvin Rotrand in a telephone interview with The Press.
Mr. Rotrand says he knows and respects Mr.and Joly, since the latter attends all meetings of the organization’s board. He has no reason to doubt his probity. However, “it would be prudent for him to choose between the two roles. That it does not occupy both at the same time”.
The City of Longueuil and the STM are bound by agreements, in particular concerning the metro station which is located on the territory of the municipality. The STM and the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) turn to the same donors for their development projects and the regular financing of the two entities is provided by the same organization, the Autorité régionale de transport de Montréal (ARTM). .
Ethics Officer
Mand Joly has worked as a lawyer at the STM for over 30 years and has risen to the top of his service. In addition to attending board meetings as corporate secretary, he also sits on its governance and ethics committee.
“Following my election, all the required measures have been put in place to avoid any situation of conflict of interest that could arise from the situation. A real partition has been erected between the two entities, ”argued Sylvain Joly in a written statement sent by the STM.
Moreover, there is not necessarily any incompatibility with occupying a job and an elected function insofar as the ethical measures are taken.
Sylvain Joly, in a written statement sent by the STM
Mr. Joly assured that the “partition” in question had been “validated by an independent specialist”.
The STM’s Code of Ethics establishes that it is he who is responsible for ethical issues within the organization: employees and directors submit declarations of interest to him, he must advise them in delicate situations and decide ethical debates. “The Corporate Secretary [Me Joly] is responsible for interpreting the Code of Ethics,” the document states. “We can all contact him for advice on these matters and rely on his recommendations. »
According to his salary scale, he earns between $165,000 and $183,000 at the STM.
At the City of Longueuil, his work earned him a salary of approximately $75,000, according to data available in a 2020 report. He is a member of the municipality’s Ethics, Governance and Democracy Commission. .
“Irreproachable”
The two organizations to which Sylvain Joly has pledged allegiance see no problem in sharing his services.
“The quality and probity of the work that is accomplished by Mr. Joly at the STM, as well as his respect for ethics and all the legal and regulatory aspects that govern his functions, is irreproachable”, reacted Philippe Déry, spokesperson for the organization.
From his first election as a municipal councilor in Longueuil, in 2013, measures had been put in place to avoid conflicts of interest, he reported. The help of an ethics counselor from the Union of Quebec Municipalities had been requested.
“His professional entourage has been informed of his political involvement in order to prevent any file that affects or could affect – directly or indirectly – the City of Longueuil and/or the RTL from being mentioned or discussed in his presence”, added continued M. Déry. “All the necessary framework measures have been put in place. »
In Longueuil, we see things the same way.
“In particular, we made sure that Mr. Joly submitted his declaration of pecuniary interests in the first days of his mandate,” said Camille Desrosiers-Laferrière, press attaché in the office of the mayor of Longueuil, in writing. “Mr. Joly also confirmed to us that he sent a written notice to his subordinates [de la STM] so that it is clear that they should not maintain files that could have any connection with the City of Longueuil. »
“We are grateful for the transparency with which Mr. Joly began his new duties, as well as for his sense of ethics and his rigor which honor him,” she added.