ADDISON — A rural township surrounding Brockville has disciplined one of its own councilors for whistleblowing. The bizarre case involves councilor and Jasper farmer and director of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Eleanor Renaud, who was penalized for actually taking the side of her ratepayers.

Renaud blew the whistle on a huge increase in garbage collecting fees. She exposed a hike from $88 per year to $178 per year that was approved without going through a tendering process. She was lone dissenting voice on Elizabethtown-Kitley Township Council. For pointing out the dramatic fee hike, she said her fellow councilors voted to refuse to allow her to sit on the Associations of Municipalities (AMO) rural caucus, a position she’s held for 12 years.

In another twist to the story, the council later lowered the garbage hike from $178 to $108, saying the first figure had been a miscalculation.

Said Renaud: "I will not apologize for sticking up for my residents," pointing out that she opposes a council that says one thing behind closed doors and another before the press.

People don’t go to council meetings unless the issue personally affects them and "you can’t blame them," she said, explaining it is up to the councilors to defend the ratepayers.

After amalgamation, council was fresh with new ideas, but has settled into a comfortable groove, she says, inferring they are out of touch with the ratepayers. "You can’t isolate yourself," she says.

A cup of coffee at the gas station will help you connect with voters and jolt you out of comfortable isolation and give you a pretty good idea of how people are thinking, she points out. She is also the Ontario Federation of Agriculture director for District 11.

Renaud is popular among area residents, some of whom came to her defence. Local cattle drover Joe Haggett agreed that the garbage collection hike "was not done above board." About Renaud, he noted: "She’s pretty good. She’s right up front. No problem. She works for her constituents."