A councillor found to be in breach of the code of conduct made a public apology Tuesday night.

Interim integrity commissioner Janet Leiper determined that during a television interview about houses that violate property conventions, Sydenham Coun. Peter Stroud made comments that violated the code.

Stroud was quoted talking about “irresponsible land owners,” landlords who “do not care” about their tenants, and people who “don’t care one bit about what they’re doing to the neighbourhood.”

The complaint was filed by the owners of the house Stroud was standing in front of during the interview.

Leiper said the complainant had worked with city staff and the local community before completing renovations to their house.

“You’re about to hear something you don’t often hear that often from a politician: I was wrong,” Stroud said at the top of his apology.

“I am sorry,” he said, offering an unconditional apology to the property owners, mayor and council.

The report was not accepted without question by other councillors around the table,

Portsmouth Coun. Liz Schell referred to a message she received from a constituent critical of how she handled an issue in her district.

Schell said she understands why Stroud became passionate about property issues in his district.

“The is the kind of horrible dilemma councillors are in all the time,” she said of measuring her response to residents. “It’s a terrible line we have to follow all the time.

It’s tough being a councillor.”

Schell said Leiper’s report was “confusing” and “contradictory.”

“It read like a police report,” she said, adding that she was going to “make a stand” by voting against it.

She was joined in her criticism by Trillium Coun. Adam Candon, who asked how much the report cost.

City clerk John Bolognone said the cost had not yet been received by the city.

“Would it be accurate to say this is a complete waste of time then?” Candon asked.

“I strongly disagree with that,” Bolognone said.

Candon himself was found by Leiper to have “inadvertently” breached the code of conduct last year by taking part in a vote on a downtown condominium project.

Mayor Bryan Paterson said voting not to receive the report would make no difference, as it was already part of the agenda package provided to councillors prior to the meeting.

“Let’s just turn the page and move on,” Paterson said.

elferguson@postmedia.com