Pitt Meadows city council will lobby Victoria for legislative changes to allow municipalities to force councillors out of office when they have been convicted of serious offences.
Former Pitt Meadows councillor David Murray was sentenced to on Wednesday for a sexual assault that occurred 26 years ago against a girl who was 13 or 14 years old at the time.
Even after his conviction last fall, council had no authority to have him removed from office. Murray at the end of January.
Tuesday, Mayor John Becker proposed a motion that council lobby the Lower Mainland Local Government Association for changes.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 suppose anybody needs any reminding of the incident from the fall,B次元官网网址� said Becker, who did not refer to Murray by name.
B次元官网网址淭he Community Charter provides no assistance to city councils in circumstances where members of council have been convicted of a criminal offence while in office.B次元官网网址�
Becker, a lawyer, noted that there had been such legislation, but it was struck down by the Supreme Court and has never been replaced.
B次元官网网址淗ere in Pitt Meadows, the matter was dealt with B次元官网网址� but in the absence of any policy or legislation,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd it was clear, the direction of this council and the direction of our community, was that situation was unacceptable.
B次元官网网址淭he commitment was made that we were going to move forward to have the law changed, so that neither this council nor any council in the province would be faced with that intolerable situation again.B次元官网网址�
Becker said he spoke to Minister of Municipal Affairs Selina Robinson and that she recommended the city put forward a resolution via the LMLGA, to be forwarded the Union of B.C. Municipalities.
The proposed motion will require an elected local government official be put on paid leave immediately upon conviction of a serious criminal offence B次元官网网址� which offences are to be defined by legislation.
A second part of the motion will also require that an elected local government official be disqualified from holding office upon conviction of a serious criminal offence, upon the expiration of the time to file an appeal or determination of an appeal.
Becker said it struck him as unfair that a person could lose his or her position on council, but could still appeal and have a conviction overturned, so he added the second part of the motion.
Becker also said that if the appeal period runs into the next municipal election, the councillor would lose his or her seat at the council table.
B次元官网网址淥nce the election comes, weB次元官网网址檙e all off council,B次元官网网址� he added.
B次元官网网址淟ocal government is the closest one to the people, and we need to push for changes,B次元官网网址� Coun. Janis Elkerton said in supporting the motion.
Coun. Bill Dingwall, a retired RCMP superintendent, said the changes do not go far enough. He believes a person should be placed on paid leave as soon as charges of an indictable offence are approved by Crown counsel. That will protect the reputation of the city, he said, and give the public confidence that elected officials are held to a higher standard.
Dingwall said Crown takes an unbiased look at evidence brought by a police investigation, considering both the likelihood of conviction and the public interest.
B次元官网网址淚 think we have to have confidence in that,B次元官网网址� he added.
Dingwall is critical of councilB次元官网网址檚 handling of the Murray case, from charge approval right to the decision not to hold a byelection.
B次元官网网址淐ouncil completely mishandled this whole matter,B次元官网网址� he said.
Dingwall said council should have restricted MurrayB次元官网网址檚 activities with a motion of censure as soon as charges were laid.
B次元官网网址淔or me, the previous actions speak much louder than the words this week, and it impacted on the victim, on victims in general and on our community.B次元官网网址�
A proposed resolution by Maple Ridge Coun. Kiersten Duncan to checks for candidates running in municipal elections did not get supported at the Lower Mainland Local Government Association convention.
