ALL IS NOT LOST...YET

The Mayor is quoted in the press stating the question of a by-election is no longer on the table.

A By-election supporter has asked if that means there is no point in making representation to council. Is the issue dead?

The fact is decisions can not be made in Committee. The public has a right be informed in advance of items to be decided in a council meeting. The objective is openness and transparency and an opportunity for input if desired. It is required by law.

At the last council meeting an indication was given to all present and to people at home, the question would be dealt with at the next council meeting.

Public forum prior to a council meeting and the opportunity to delegate to council is part of the democratic structure of municipal government.

The opportunity has been used by citizens on a number of occasions. When the traffic calming tender came in at $211,000 dollars instead of the estimated $80,000, residents from the north-east quadrant came in droves to the council chamber and persuaded councillors to change the votes they had cast in committee. They had received, on direction from the Mayor, hand-delivered letters from the town to alert them to the possibility the project would be cancelled due to exorbitant cost.

The vote on Tuesday to deny suspension of the procedural bylaw to allow reconsideration of the by-election was five to three. No explanations were offered by any of the five. No reference made to the lengthy list of emails forwarded in favour of a by-election. The Mayor had previously directed all emails on the issue be placed on the agenda of the next council meeting.

The clear intention was to deal with the issue at the next council meeting.

During the debate at the previous council meeting, councillors claimed time was needed to consult with the community before a decision was made. I believe the refusal to allow the matter to come forward when the community has made strong representation to hold a by-election, is an example of a total lack of respect for all but the special interest they serve.

The vote taken in committee must be ratified by council. Before that happens residents have a right to be heard and have their views considered. Just like the members of the Coalition of Ratepayers group did when they argued to have $211,000 spent on traffic calming in their neighborhood.

Your voices can only be ignored if you allow that to happen.