In West Vancouver, a battle is brewing between the city's mayor and two senior police officers.

The officers - Staff Sgt. Doug Bruce and Insp. Bob Fontaine took sick leave after they were accused of botching an investigation into police misconduct.

As CTV has discovered, the mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones says taxpayers are being forced to pay their salaries because the officers refuse to attend a disciplinary hearing

Insp. Fontaine spends his time fixing up an old rooming house in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, while Staff Sgt. Bruce lives in Penticton.

Both are still on the West Vancouver Police Deptartment payroll. Yet they haven't been to work in a year and a half, according to Goldsmith-Jones.

"We wish to bring these two officers to a hearing, in fairness to everybody and we are being stalled,"she said.

It all began, when the two senior officers were ordered to conduct an internal investigation into the actions of one their fellow officers, Const. Lisa Alford.

In 2005, Alford drove while drunk and smashed into another vehicle.

But the officer's final report to the B.C. Police Complaints Commissioner allegedly failed to mention that Alford was drinking at the West Vancouver Police Dept. prior to the accident and she was partying with other police officers, including Staff Sgt Bruce's son.

The Police Complaints Commissioner asked the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) to investigate Bruce and Fontaine. The VPD found the officers allegedly breached the code of conduct. A disciplinary proceeding was ordered.

"It was originally ordered in February 2007 and there has been a couple of attempts to have a disciplinary proceeding occur," said Bruce Brown, Deputy Police Complaints Commissioner.

The mayor claims the officers have refused to attend two scheduled hearings, and this case exposes a weakness in the police act.

Because the officers took sick leave, there is nothing forcing them to attend.

"All we can do is put pressure on these two members, who we believe are stalling the process,'' said Goldsmith-Jones

Bob Fontaine dismissed the mayor's comments. "I don't know how she gets the right to say that.''

"I would like to see this over with. I'm trying to retire. I would like to go with a clean name because I have not done anything wrong," he said.

Doug Bruce says he took sick leave due to stress.

Goldsmith-Jones says something needs to change.

"There needs to be a way to force a discipline proceeding, by a certain date, within a certain amount of time, rather than have it go on, said Goldsmith-Jones.

In an email to CTV News, B.C. Solicitor General John Van Dongen insisted the government is working on changing the Police Act. But he declined to speak to CTV on camera.

There is another hearing -- the third one -- scheduled for later this month.

Whether or not it goes ahead -- taxpayers in West Vancouver -- have paid out nearly $300,000 for two officers, who aren't policing.

With a report by CTV British Columbia' s Lisa Rossington