I was surprised when I read the following quote in a recent edition of the Innisfail Province:
“'I will truly say and honestly from my heart that what is happening in this town is what we have hired her to do,' said Coun. Patt Churchill, who urged citizens to bring their concerns to council and not through the local newspaper. ‘When you see this negativity in the newspaper week and week none of us win as a community, not here and not there. If things come to that there is a way and a means for somebody to address. Please don't do it through the papers.'”
So, let me understand. The councillor is saying that we should not go public with our concerns, that the public has no right to know. Is that what she believes?
Perhaps the councillor has forgotten that she was elected by the people to represent the people and to hear the people's concerns even when they are voiced through the local paper.
Having spent several years in municipal politics as both a councillor and mayor, I am more than aware of the responsibilities that we have. We are responsible first to our electors. That means not only do we have a duty to be informed of all matters affecting the administration of the town businesses, but we also have a duty to ensure that our public knows what is going on.
It also means that we must have the courage to stand up to the administration when concerns are brought in front of us. I would've thought that this council had already experienced the problems of not dealing openly with the public when they dealt with the problem of the trailer park and sewage lagoon.
Mayor and council have the right to question any decision, made by any level of the administration and they certainly have the right to hire and fire at any level if they wish to do so. To abdicate this responsibility completely to the CAO is to abdicate all of your responsibilities as an elected official. Perhaps you should just resign and let the CAO run the whole place. Is that really what you want? I think not.
My simple advice is listening to the electors. Try to be more transparent and you will earn the respect and the admiration of those who put you in power. And you may in fact be better for your efforts. You might even get re-elected.
Chuck Blanchard
Chuck Blanchard is a past two-term mayor of Invermere, B.C. and a current resident of Innisfail.
