Editor:
Have Harrison Hot Springs residents elected children to Village Council? The call for a non-confidence vote against Mayor Ed Wood appears to be the result of some council members wanting to conduct village business in the same old way that it has always been done and for their convenience. The new council has been in place for just over three months of a four-year term and already cannot direct their attention to conduct village business without squabbling.
Ed Wood campaigned on policy of a transparent government and has been criticized for not succumbing to the demands of Leo Facio and Michie Vidal to have private meetings. The private meeting of the three members of council may not have been illegal, but was certainly unprofessional and counterproductive. Also, Facio and Vidal wanting to approve a meeting agenda prematurely was inappropriate and shows not just their lack of knowledge of standard rules for holding meetings, but also their bitterness toward the Mayor.
The council, as with all levels of government, was elected to serve the public, not to undermine progressive debate and decision making. If Leo Facio and Michie Vidal cannot function within the correct manner of council meeting protocols, then perhaps a non-confidence vote should be held against them. The village council needs to get its work done without animosity being the focus.
Stephen Begg
Harrison Hot Springs
