Editor: I’ve read comments from several citizens calling on councillors to share the blame and stop the infighting that has been escalating in Township hall over the past two years. My question to these fellow citizens is “How should the councilors make peace? Simply take Mayor Rick Green at his word and follow his lead?”
I’m no politico, but I thought the point of having one mayor and eight councillors was to have an uneven number of individuals come together to debate matters, make decisions and carry out actions, based on the majority opinion of the group. Am I missing something?
If a matter comes before council, I hope there would be a spectrum of opinions, an attentive ear to the community and passionate debate. I don’t expect council to reach consensus on every issue and I don’t expect to be happy with every decision made on our behalf, but when the votes are in, I do expect the decision to be carried out quickly and efficiently.
From what several independent voices are saying, it sounds like the turmoil on council stems from the mayor not doing his job after the votes have been cast. If an individual on council finds their vote in the minority, they’re certainly still entitled to their opinion (and we can probably afford them a bit of pouting) but their duty to abide by the Community Charter is what should determine their actions moving forward.
In this matter, I applaud our councillors and call on them to continue in their fight to uphold the Community Charter until His Worship either steps up to, or is relieved of, the responsibilities he’s ignored. Anything less would be a great disservice to both our community and democracy.
Scott Cave,
Fort Langley
