Updated on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016.
Deputy Mayor Matt Whitman has been directed by Halifax Regional Council to issue a public apology for inappropriate tweets.
“I agree with my colleagues, we spent three hours talking about it and I see the light,” Deputy Mayor Matt Whitman said.
Whitman tweeted using the hashtags “#powertrip” and “#getalife” in reference to a ticket issued by a RCMP officer last week against a man using an ATV on a roadway.
The all-terrain vehicle had a plow and was being used to clear snow in Whitman’s jurisdiction. The operator was issued a $406 fine for illegal use of an ATV on a Nova Scotia roadway.
READ MORE: Halifax deputy mayor Matt Whitman faces complaint over social media conduct
Two days after Whitman expressed his disappointment with the RCMP officer via Twitter, a complaint was filed against him by a Halifax man, Scott Warnica.
Warnica, an RCMP officer, said he was “fed up” with Whitman’s tweets and Facebook posts and requested Whitman be removed as Deputy Mayor of Halifax.
Last Friday, Mayor Mike Savage confirmed a second complaint was received regarding Whitman’s social media conduct.
Today, after three hours of private talks, Whitman was directed to apologize for “inappropriate” tweeting.
“I’m here to apologize and say that, they were rude, they weren’t kind, they offended people and I’m very sorry for that,” Whitman said.
Warnica thanks council, Whitman
In an emailed statement to Global News on Wednesday, Warnica thanked the council for dealing with the complaint “quickly and effectively.”
“I am pleased the Deputy Mayor has apologized for his behaviour and I am hopeful the Deputy Mayor and I can meet in the next few days to discuss this incident and to map out a plan to move forward with regard to policing issues in his district area,” he said.
Mayor Mike Savage told Global News Wednesday that Whitman acknowledged that many of the councillors felt the tweet was a mistake, and that there are standards councillors must hold themselves to.
“We live in a new age, social media is obviously something people continue to adjust to,” Savage said.
“People have different ways of dealing with social media and Matt is very aggressive on social media, very active, and there are benefits to that, but I also think that makes it really incumbent on us all to make sure that what we’re putting out to the community represents our best work and best judgment as councillors.”
Savage added that the city thanks the people who complained for taking the time for lodging the complaint, and that the matter has been dealt with.
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