Coun. Vera Cardinal was disappointed the province chose to focus on governance procedures rather than address complaints.
RM called on the carpet
Province meets with Lac du Bonnet council, future audit to take place
By Marlene Watson
A series of complaints regarding the RM of Lac du Bonnet have not only resulted in Manitoba Local Government requesting a meeting with council, the province has also put the municipality on notice they will be conducting an internal audit.
RM of Lac du Bonnet council was summoned to a meeting with MLG deputy minister Linda McFadyen, assistant deputy minister Laurie Davidson and representatives of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities Feb. 2 following a series of complaints to their department from individual council members, municipal administration and the citizens of Lac du Bonnet.
A provincial spokesperson further stated the purpose of the meeting was to explore the options available to council to help them respond to the types of issues and questions that have been raised.
Mediation was one suggestion to help council members work together as a team.
Reeve Karl Gugenheimer, CAO Tannis Lodge and Couns. Bob Bruneau, Vera Cardinal and Berent Hamm were in attendance. Coun. Doug Marks had previously given notice of absence for the month of February.
Gugenheimer said the provincial meeting stressed the importance of council having respect for the position of chair and vice versa.
He said McFadyen further spoke on the importance of running meetings in a proper way.
Hamm supported the government’s suggestion of mediation, saying McFadyen’s office provided the names of three firms to contact in this regard.
“I am not opposed to having an independent third party select the mediator we use,” said Hamm, who will lobby his council to accept mediation.
Hamm believes the biggest problem right now is respect for the position of Reeve.
“[Former Prime Minister John] Diefenbaker once said, no matter what you think of me personally, you will respect the seat of Prime Minister,” quoted Hamm in support of the importance of respect for the chair.
Bruneau believes it is time for people in the municipality, and council members to accept the results of the 2010 election.
“The cards have been dealt and it is time to accept the deal and move on,” Bruneau said adding that only by respecting the choice of the electorate can the council begin to work as a team.
Cardinal voiced her disappointment that McFadyen did not discuss the complaints, choosing instead to focus on governance procedures.
Cardinal further went on record as stating that all of the complaints were being written off by the province as personal.
“The bad citizens were blamed,” said Cardinal. “Something is wrong with Local Government if they are writing it off as personality problems. In my opinion, citizens just don’t go to a higher level without a reason.”
Cardinal admitted that she is one of the complainants. She said that to date her concerns have not been addressed to her satisfaction, but would not elaborate on the exact nature of the complaints. She is reportedly not privy to the general nature of the other complaints.
All members of council agree there is a problem, and while most believe they will achieve proper governance through the mediation process, Cardinal has now turned her hopes on the investigation by the Auditor General’s office.
Cardinal said she was the only member of council that made it very clear the municipality is not functioning properly, in her view.
“Do you think that the Auditor General’s office comes out to investigate a municipality if it was doing okay?” she said, referencing a letter received by the RM Dec. 19 stating an investigation of the affairs of the municipality will take place, but did not give a date as to when.
Cardinal told The Clipper Weekly she was so disgusted with McFadyen’s approach in dismissing the 100 complaints that she let her feelings be known by way of letters to the premier, the opposition, to McFadyen and a copy to Minister Ron Lemieux.
She said she will accept the findings of the Auditor General and will not support any type of mediation until after that time.
“Somebody has to get to the basis of the complaints,” she said. “I truly hope that the auditor finds that I am wrong and that everything is functioning as it should.”
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