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LETTER: Mayors should refrain from endorsements

Five mayors acted undemocratically, because their actions were not based on a vote of council
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Salmon Arm Mayor Nancy Cooper appears in a video supporting Liberal candidate Greg Kyllo. (photo submitted)

The mayors of Salmon Arm, Sicamous, Enderby, Armstrong and Spallumcheen are wrong to support Greg Kyllo’s re-election bid for the Shuswap riding in the upcoming May 9 election.

Their personal opinions should not be espoused from their position as mayors.

The Handbook for Municipal Councillors and Mayors states: “Individual members of council, including the mayor, have no decision making powers; decisions are made democratically by a majority of council.”

When the five mayors decided to publicly support Greg Kyllo, they acted undemocratically, because their actions were not based on a majority vote of council.

“The mayor is supposed to reflect the “will of council,” to quote the handbook again.

The mayors should not have appeared in the video promoting Mr. Kyllo’s bid for re-election without a majority of council vote endorsing such actions. Even appearing on the video and thanking Kyllo is an endorsement of his re-election bid. The mayors do not have the right to publicize their personal opinions or to act independently of their position as mayor. I am amazed that they don’t understand this. How do the respective councils feel about their mayor speaking out on their behalf? The mayors are acting with complete disdain towards the office and responsibilities of mayor.

Mr. Kyllo ought to know better than to entice the mayors to act inappropriately. What lengths will he go to in an effort to get re-elected? The mayors are obviously feeling beholden and magnanimous towards Mr. Kyllo because of the funding that has been directed towards this area recently. The wealth he is so happy to share has accumulated over the past 15 years by (illegally) underfunding the public education system.

A whole generation of students was cheated out of a good quality education. Are these five mayors also endorsing these actions?

Randy Wagner