The ongoing battle between Woolwich Township councillors and one of their most persistent critics took another turn Tuesday night, when councillors walked out on Alan Marshall as he was speaking.
Marshall is a longtime environmental advocate.
In recent months, he has sparred with councillors over the state of chemical pollution near the Chemtura chemical manufacturing plant and over election expenses.
It was his intervention that brought issues with Mayor Sandy Shantz’s campaign finance reports to light – issues which essentially stripped her of the township’s mayoralty for two weeks, until a judge’s ruling returned her to office.
Tuesday night, Marshall was expected to speak to councillors again about election expenses.
Instead, he began talking about water contamination.
Shantz says Marshall was asked three times to stick to his subject. After the third time, Coun. Larry Shantz – who was chairing the meeting – called a recess.
Councillors then walked out of the room, as Marshall continued speaking.
They returned 10 minutes later, and continued speaking until he was again told to sit down.
The mayor said she thought her colleague made the right call in attempting to “diffuse the situation.”
“We want to listen to our constituents,” she said in an interview.
“I think we also have a duty and expectation that the council chamber is going to be a place where there is some sort of decorum and professionalism.”
In an interview, Marshall said he didn’t break any of the township’s rules for delegations, and claimed he was “ambushed” by councillors.
“I did wander from strictly the one issue, but that is within my rights according to Woolwich Township’s procedural bylaw,” he said.
“I was calm, cool and collected. The council were not.”
