The council debate over election signs illustrates very fuzzy thinking on the part of two councillors. Brian Quiring thinks, “It’s crazy. It’s like Christmas for the bylaw guys,” and Catherine Lord asks, “How much money will we spend policing this?”
Gee councillors, the staff are enforcing a bylaw passed by council. Isn’t that what they are paid for? Both councillors owe the staff an apology for those thoughtless remarks.
If, as Councillor Mary-Jo O’Keefe said, “During the last election, signs were up everywhere,” it means the bylaw has been ignored two elections running, despite candidates having been given a copy of the bylaw. This should indicate to the candidates and to the voting public that the bylaw will be enforced.
This issue reeks of loosey-goosey, good-old-boy, small town politics. Council knows exactly when elections are coming up, council knows what has happened in the past under the existing by-law, and Vernon isn’t a village of a few thousand folks.
Why wasn’t something done before now?
Get your act together, enforce the existing bylaw for this election and then thoroughly review it well before the next elections.
Dinham Drew
Vernon
