Ward 1 city council member and potential mayoral candidate, Fred Francis, has decided not to participate in an external review of council procedures because it is being overseen by Mayor Drew Dilkens’ former chief of staff.
The city staff awarded a $24,000 sole-source contract to GT & Co to address various concerns raised by the city council. This includes evaluating the possibility of deferring items when delegates are present, determining the timeline for staff to submit reports, and considering implementing time limits for councillors’ speeches.
Although all council members were invited to join the review, Francis opted out due to his reservations about the involvement of Andrew Teliszewsky, who previously served as Dilkens’ chief of staff from 2020 to 2023. Francis expressed that it would be inappropriate for him, as a mayoral candidate, to discuss ways to enhance city council and city hall with the mayor’s former chief of staff or their firm.
Francis emphasized that it would be more beneficial for staff to hear from the newly elected council members in the upcoming municipal elections. He believes that the current timing of the review is not suitable and views it as an unnecessary expenditure at this stage.
The review was initiated by the city’s chief administrative officer, Ray Mensour, who highlighted the heavy workload in the Council Services department due to preparations for the impending city-wide election as the reason for awarding the contract to GT & Co. Mensour praised the firm’s expertise in working with municipalities, stating that their insights will support the completion of the review and recommendations in time for the next council term.
Teliszewsky, identified as a partner at GT & Co, chose not to respond to Francis’ remarks or comments on the contract, redirecting inquiries to the City of Windsor.
Mayor Dilkens, who has not yet confirmed his intention to seek re-election, asserted that he was not involved in selecting the firm for the review and emphasized that the contract was executed following standard city procedures. He defended Teliszewsky’s past experience, citing it as an asset that contributes to the review’s credibility.
In a separate development, Couns. Frazier Fathers, Ed Sleiman, and Angelo Marignani informed CBC News of their willingness to participate in the review. Fathers refrained from discussing the contract specifics and GT & Co.’s selection process. Sleiman, who stated that he would not seek re-election, expressed his belief that the issue of Teliszewsky’s involvement should be addressed by the next council once the report is presented.
Francis raised concerns about potential bias in the review process, especially with Teliszewsky conducting interviews with councillors. Marignani confirmed that he had dialogues with Teliszewsky to address Francis’ apprehensions and was satisfied that the review was conducted impartially.
Dilkens mentioned that apart from Francis, one other unnamed council member has not committed to the review but anticipates their participation. He dismissed Francis’ objections as attempts to create controversy and indicated that Francis will likely continue making similar allegations in the media in the coming days.
Francis clarified that his decision not to engage in the review was not a reflection on anyone’s integrity but stemmed from his discomfort sharing his ideas with a consultant, particularly one with ties to the mayor. He emphasized that his proposals for enhancing city hall would soon be public on his platform and preferred not to disclose them to someone with past affiliations with the mayor.