To the Editor,
After reading the draft of the new City of Nanaimo Governance Framework Roles and Responsibilities, it makes one wonder why we have a council at all? It states “the councillor role is a governance role, distinct from the management role. Council does not involve itself in the management or operational work of the city unless there is a direct linkage to the strategic level decisions of council. Council involvement in the operational or management work of the city should be rare and exceptional.”
It also states that basically if an individual councillor wants to talk to staff for more than 30 minutes, it requires permission from the city manager.
In all companies that I know the bosses talk to the staff for as long and as often as the bosses feel is needed. The boss is the one in charge and responsible for the results, not the employees under them.
If work is only important if all of council agrees, then is it not important if one councillor disagrees? If individual councillors asking questions is a waste of city staff resources maybe we should not have any councillors and just have a mayor to approve the wishes of the city manager, period. This would save tax dollars and staff would not be bothered by individual councillors for 30 minutes a week.
Terry WagstaffNanaimo
