Oakville Mayor Rob Burton resigns from police board after approving police chief’s trip to U.S.

Oakville Mayor Rob Burton has resigned from the Halton Police Board following the news that he approved police chief Stephen Tanner’s travel to Florida.

Burton says Tanner told him about his plans to travel to the U.S. for a property matter on Dec. 22.  He approved those plans with no objection.

“I regret sincerely that I focussed at the time on the ways the chief’s trip qualified as essential travel. I should have recommended against it because it could generate public concern about me not setting a higher example than the rules and guidelines actually called for,” said Burton in a statement.

Tanner returned from Florida this weekend and is isolation. He has said his trip was a poor choice and he regretted it.