Disqualified candidate complains to integrity commissioner for unfair treatment

A missing signature is the reason for a Ward 3 candidate's disqualification from the upcoming municipal election in Windsor.

Patsy Copus had all 25 names and addresses of people who were endorsing her nomination papers, but she was missing a signature from one of them.

And unfortunately for Copus, she said the municipal advisor in Toronto told her there is no appeal process.

"If there's a mistake, you're finished," she said.

Joining Copus in the list of disqualified candidates are Steve Gavrilos for Ward 7 and Angela Fitzpatrick for Ward 8 both having to do with incomplete nomination papers.

The city's manager of records, Chuck Scarpelli, said Gavrilos had one endorser who endorsed someone else on the form and Fitzpatrick handed the nomination paper with some people who endorsed her by signing on torn pieces of paper.

Scarpelli did not verify if a typo had cost Gavrilo's candidacy.

"Well I don't know if it was a spelling mistake or not, but it wasn't the individual at the top of the form," he said.

Allegations of unfair treatment

Scarpelli said it's not the clerks' job to ensure the nomination forms are filled out correctly.

"The actual role in making sure that a nomination paper is correct is the role of the candidate themselves, not the staff person," he said. "The only thing we can do is count the names, that's it."

However, Copus said her nomination was not treated the same as other candidates who filed their paperwork and she will be filing a complaint to the integrity commissioner.

On her website, she alleges Greg Lemay running for Ward 8 told her that Scarpelli had gone over his application "line by line" and Scarpellihad interfered with the election process by not giving her that same treatment.

Lemay responded in a Facebook comment that Scarpelli had only "counted" there were 27 names and have not helped him fill out any forms.

Scarpelli said he's read about Copus'comments but he refused to comment on the allegations.

"I'm not going to comment on any of her allegations against me. Because I don't know where she's getting all her stuff from," he said. "And to me they're just allegations."

In the upcoming municipal election on Oct. 22, there are 50 certified candidates running for council and five running for mayor in the City of Windsor.