Two members of Mount Pearl City Council have been dismissed for conflict of interest in relation to the harassment investigation into former CAO Steve Kent. Kent resigned last week in advance of a motion to dismiss him.

Councillors Andrea Power and Andrew Ledwell are no longer members of council, reducing the size of the local government to five from seven.

Power delivered an emotional address, in which she called Mayor Dave Aker “a bully.”

She alleges that Mayor Aker at a community event made an oinking noise as a woman was reaching for a cookie. Power says the woman, who was upset, reached out to her but decided not to pursue the matter.

She called on the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Jim Locke to resign but neither did.

Power said that wasn’t the only time Mayor Aker exhibited objectionable behaviour. She said Mayor Aker referenced the weight of one of her female council colleagues, saying she was more like “a tater than a small fry.” Power, becoming emotional, said the behaviour hurt her then and it still does to this day.

Ledwell calls the whole thing a “kangaroo court” and has levelled numerous serious accusations of financial issues at council.

Following a vote by council, both Power and Ledwell’s seats were declared vacant.