LAURIE WEIR
Will Rideau Lakes Township staff face more work, or will ratepayers simply receive more information?
Deputy Mayor Paula Banks believes residents aren’t getting enough updates about township affairs and wants to contribute to regular addresses. She introduced a motion to improve communication, particularly on capital project updates, through a mid-term report distributed by the municipality.
Banks also proposed including financial updates on projects and whether they are on schedule.
Mayor Arie Hoogenboom opposed the motion, saying he already provides monthly updates.
“This is the mayor’s message,” Hoogenboom said. “The mayor is the spokesperson for the municipality—not council, not some members of council. I have done these things for a number of years, and I’ve always made them positive and complete. I’ve talked about all the current issues.”
He said having eight other people contribute to the message would change its purpose. “It will not be a mayor’s message; it will be a message of some members of council.”
Banks responded: “The problem is, Arie, I no longer trust you. You make promises, you make comments, then you break them.”
Hoogenboom said his updates are already reviewed by staff before being posted. “This is an attempt to minimize the role of the mayor, and I will simply not support it.”
Banks said she wanted to provide updates on specific items, but Hoogenboom countered that she already had avenues to share her views, including the Delta Lantern—a publication where councillors contribute their ward updates—and via her social media.
Coun. Marcia Maxwell noted that all councillors have an opportunity to contribute to the mayor’s report each month, as staff emails them an invitation.
“That’s the mayor’s domain, and we should be staying out of it,” Maxwell said.
Coun. Deborah Anne Hutchings said she had never received an invitation to contribute and requested that future emails be sent to her personal email address.
A recorded vote passed 5-4, with councillors Jeff Banks, Sue Dunfield, Linda Carr, Hutchings, and Deputy Mayor Paula Banks voting in favour of having the messages crafted by staff as directed by council.