In the 2013 mayoral election, Laplante finished third with 19% of the vote behind Michel Fecteau, and his former boss, Claude Bachand.
[8] Without a majority on council, Laplante came under fire after hiring a friend, Guy Grenier as an attaché to his cabinet.
The majority opposition on council, known as the "Group of Nine" attempted to fire Grenier, but was stopped by Laplante's veto.
The Commission municipale du Québec intervened, and the case was eventually taken to the Superior Court of Quebec, which ruled in 2020 that Laplante would be suspended from his duties for 95 days.
[10] The mayor came under more controversy in 2021 when opposition councillors filed a lawsuit against 9 citizens, accusing them of "monopolizing the public question period at city council, insulting elected officials and staff on Facebook and drowning the municipal administration with requestions for information".
The lawsuit suggested that the actions of these citizens are part of an organized effort of the mayor in an attempt to win a majority on council in the next elections.