Photo: Carolynne Parent Archives The Gaspé town of Percé
Florence Morin-Martel
Posted at 3:55 p.m. Updated at 7:53 p.m.
- Regions
Elected since 2017, the mayor of the Gaspé town of Percé, Cathy Poirier, announced Tuesday that she was resigning, while denouncing “unacceptable behavior”.
“Today, as I leave office, I feel great sadness. Harassment, personal attacks, assaults and intimidation got the better of my commitment,” she said in a press release. The “harmful” climate experienced at Percé city hall and elsewhere is a threat to the proper functioning of democratic institutions, she estimated.
On the social network X, the Union of Municipalities of Quebec highlighted its commitment in recent years. “It is crucial to create favorable conditions so that municipal elected officials can act for the well-being of their communities. »
Ms. Poirier, among other things, expressed her pride in having “succeeded in implementing measures aimed at making the municipality more inclusive and offering quality public services while maintaining responsible financial management.” “Unfortunately, several projects remain to be done; divergent points of view and vision have prevented their accomplishment. »
During her mandate, the mayor notably sparked strong protests among several merchants by establishing a tourist fee regulation in 2021. The Superior Court of Quebec invalidated it in 2023, but Percé decided to appeal the judgment. Last June, however, the municipal council held a meeting in the absence of the mayor, during which the abandonment of the appeal process was voted.
Shortly after, she said she was considering her political future, while specifying that she wanted to stay until the end of certain ongoing investigations, Radio-Canada reported.
According to the public broadcaster, she was then referring in particular to the administrative investigation targeting her spouse, the director of town planning and land management of the City of Percé, Ghislain Pitre, who was suspended last November .