The person who first raised alarm bells over a land purchase by the City of St. John’s, which resulted in a councilor being cited for conflict of interest violations, is satisfied with the outcome.

Ron Ellsworth, the realtor for the vendor, was paid commission on the sale. An independent investigation ordered by council cleared him of trying to influence the decision, but cited him for violations of the city’s Code of Conduct for voting on the 2024 budget and for his involvement in special meetings of council.

The city accepted all the findings with the exception of the budget vote.Danny Williams, the owner of Dewcor, sought an explanation from council. He’s not surprised that Mayor Danny Breen did not accept the findings of the investigator, and says the city has a history of commissioning reports, then rejecting recommendations or findings that do not suit therm.

There will be no repercussions for Ellsworth, other than he will have to do more training regarding the rules.