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Powell River deputy mayor position to undergo staff review

Recommendation is to entrench position in city procedure bylaw
Powell River
Aerial view of Powell River, BC.

City of Powell River Council will look at amending its procedure bylaw for creation of a deputy mayor position.

At the council meeting on Thursday, October 17, councillors unanimously voted to appoint councillor Maggie Hathaway as the city’s deputy mayor. However, at the meeting on Thursday, November 7, further consideration of the appointment came up.

Councillor CaroleAnn Leishman said she asked to have the matter put on the November 7 council agenda for consideration.

“I wanted to thank the mayor for bringing this forward and for council supporting it,” said Leishman. “I’m just concerned about process. I was not at the meeting at which it was discussed, otherwise I would have brought it up.”

Leishman said council received a letter from resident George Orchiston around the council procedure bylaw and Community Charter. She said she would like to refer the matter back to staff to make it part of the city’s procedure bylaw, to actually amend the bylaw to include a deputy mayor position.

“There is a public perception the deputy mayor would have some delegated authority, and I know some of our staff were not even sure whether there was delegated authority in terms of signing on behalf of the mayor in his absence,” said Leishman. “Instead of having a sort of nebulous area, it’s a great idea to pursue this, but it wouldn’t supersede the acting mayor rotation.

“I would just like staff to bring us back a proposed amendment to the procedure bylaw, including any other housekeeping they need to do to the procedure bylaw to bring it up to date and absolutely give us some clarity on what the deputy mayor position could have as delegated authority to it. Then it’s really clear to everyone when the deputy mayor would step in and what her potential delegated authority could be, because I think it’s a fantastic idea.”

Leishman said council should just clear it up and make sure everybody knows what the role entails. She moved referral back to staff for amendment to the procedures bylaw to include the deputy mayor’s position. Council carried the motion unanimously.

Leishman said she wanted to thank councillor Hathaway for stepping into that role. Hathaway said revising the procedure bylaw is exactly what council should do so the role is clear to everyone.

In a letter to council dated October 22, Orchiston said he did not question Hathaway’s years of service or her qualifications, but rather, the process city council employed in this matter with regard to the deputy mayor appointment. He said it was his position that council acted unlawfully by contravening the city’s procedure bylaw and that the resolution council adopted appointing Hathaway as deputy mayor was invalid.

“Council’s clumsy attempt to circumvent the Community Charter and council procedure bylaw 2415 by the creation of a non-statutory deputy mayor portfolio via council resolution and no appropriate public notice is not acceptable,” stated Orchiston in his letter. “Council is free to amend bylaw 2415 but must do so properly, including providing the proper public notice describing the proposed changes in general terms.”