Dear Editor,
Thank you Craig Stevenson for deciding to add your voice to the discussion of municipal issues in the Aug. 14 NG Times. You raised some important points concerning the selection and qualification of committee members for all these new Municipal advisory committees.
It is a disservice to our civil society that one of these committee members, Michael Whittaker, decided to respond to Mr. Stevenson’s entirely reasonable comments with a rebuke that included the words “temerity”, “pretentious”, “arrogance”, “ignorance”, “hectoring”, “unsolicited”, and “supercilious” (see the NG Times Aug. 21).
Maybe Mr. Whittaker should resign from his new municipal committee position and let someone else with a more receptive personality take his place.
While I commend people for donating their time to serve as an unpaid committee member, I have some questions of my own about all these committees. How exactly were these committee members selected? Did we obtain qualified individuals? What powers do these committees possess? Do committee recommendations have enhanced standing vs. recommendations from individual taxpayers, residents, and other stakeholders? What is the procedure for removing existing committee members? Are you a committee member for life? How many of these committee members will act in the interests of taxpayers? Do committee members have the right to rebuke and criticize members of the public who raise questions about their activities?
Stephen Hammond
This week’s editorial concerning Advisory Committees: https://ngtimes.ca/weve-only-just-begun
