I feel compelled to respond to your recent articles and editorials regarding the removal of the elected Mayor of Qualicum Beach as the town’s regional district representative.
I found the muscles flexed by the four newly-elected council members to be absolutely classless, cowardly and inappropriate.
I will not debate the notion that someone other than the mayor should be the appointed representative.
There was nothing to stop the council members from discussing appointments in an in-camera meeting. To blind-side the mayor in a well-attended public meeting, however, was insulting to the community and to the mayor.
It appears that the council members went out of their way to embarrass Mr. Westbroek and to collectively take command of council. My sense is that the new council members should probably have shown to courage to run for mayor rather than council if that was their intent.
In an interview, Councillor Brouilette said the main reason for the move was to “improve the relationship with the regional district.” What utter codswallop.
The move has fractured any notion of a team of elected representatives and, in my opinion, damaged the relationship with the regional district and, more importantly, the voters of Qualicum Beach.
This is hardly the type of change we voted for and I wonder just who really is calling the shots for this gang of four?
Howie Hambleton
Qualicum Beach