Special Post: The April 6 Lecture

Thou Shalt be Lectured - Time & Time & Time Again . . . .

The posting for the April 6 council meeting refers to the Mayor's outburst near the end. His lecture was directed at Councillors Atkinson and Williams, over their refusal to allow third reading of the 2009 property tax bylaw at that meeting. This is the verbatim transcript of that five-minute segment of the meeting. My editorial comments are limited to explaining a few important points.

[We might reasonably expect former councillor Doris Lund to speak at the April 27 council meeting - determined, as in the past, to add her critical voice to the usual chorus rounded up in support of the mayor - as a follow-up to the mayor's remarks.]

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Scarrow: It needs to be said, and I will say it. You voted against this, uh, Councillor Williams. Like, I have no malice towards either of you, unh, but, you were late arriving, and you didn’t return, uh, you you left about eleven-thirty [the meeting began at 8:30; council adjourned for thirty minutes at 11:30, for lunch, so everyone “left” then (myself included);the meeting re-convened at noon, and finished at 12:45 ] but you didn’t return, uh, so, you know how much interest you had in, you know a longer process of studying the budget, it’s okay. We, we stayed, okay. And uh by the way, last year you didn’t attend any of the budget proceedings. So I, I just want to qualify that.

Councillor Atkinson, I don’t know what your purpose is here but, you know we, we are very busy, the balance of us, in, in a lot of committee meetings [the city lists 65 committees as of December 1, 2008, seven of which the Mayor himself has added since December 1, 2006; on May 19, 2004, there were only 40] that we attend, unh, on faithful uh city business. And you’re forcing us, uh, to hold a meeting that you know would be held on Wednesday at 8 AM, to protest a zero per cent budget you’re protesting because of the lateness of the materials getting to you, but you failed to say that at all during the budget process. You could have asked for some type of adjournment, to, to study further, or, you know, some kind of indication that this was going to be met with this type of resistance here today. I [emphasis Scarrow’s] take exception to you changing my schedule [the mayor had earlier declared that an 8 AM, Wednesday, April 8, meeting was going to be held if third reading of the bylaw was not completed at this April 6 meeting - without consulting the City Clerk, or anyone else] uh, you know, on on items that I think are not con-, conducive to the function of this council. And it’s happened time, and time, and time again. Uh, you know, it just is beyond me and I hope the citizens of Prince Albert as well, that, that, uh this, whatever it is that you’re attempting to do here . . . places you in an awkward spot and also members of council. We want to get ih- get on, and do the affairs of our business, uh, not to be hu- brought back in at 8 AM to accommodate those who are working, unh, to, in order to get one item of business completed. So, ah, it’s too late now to, uh, I gave you an indication that what we were going to do with it. You know, I just think it is not respectful of the balance of the members of council and the work that’s been done by our administration for you to hold this off, uh, this evening.

So with that we’ll move to - I’m in the chair [Atkinson had raised his hand, in order to be recognized to speak, but the mayor ignores him] we’ll move to item number ten, bylaw number ten. What’s to be gained, right?

Williams: We sit here. We get chastised. We have our reasons. Why I was late? You want your explanation?

Scarrow: Don’t you ---

Williams: You didn’t ask me. I had to take my son to school. That’s what was first. How do you motivate a fifteen-year-old? It’s pretty difficult. I have to be somewhere, so be it. And then I had to be somewhere else. So, don’t, you don’t even take the time to talk to me ---

Scarrow: But, but you assume ---

Williams: DON’T SIT THERE, AND CHASTISE ME, WITHOUT TALKING TO ME.

Dionne: Order.

Williams: That’s the end of it.

Scarrow: Do you don’t not think that each of us have given up something for that day? Uh, that, you know, I don’t know what your other events were, but, but, it’s it’s again, why you would, would do that. Not everybody, uh, attends our council meetings but I think they should know, uh, that, that you had ample time - as much time as everyone else. Nobody said, “Delay, postpone,” at that particular time. It was afterwards. Councillor Atkinson, do you have anything to add?

Atkinson: Uh, it seems like, uh, everyone’s getting their two cents’ worth. I guess, you know, there’s another item here tonight, I don’t oppose having leave [granted for third reading] for that particular item.

This - the budget - is probably one of the most important issues we have in the city to do. I believe that the public are entitled to an opportunity to adequately review that. The rationale of why there are two readings [sic - three readings] for any particular bylaw is an opportunity for re-visiting or re-looking at those particular items. That is the process. If someone has a problem with the process, I suggest they go to the province and ask them to change the process under which we operate. I am just abiding by the rules to give the public an opportunity to view the document we want to pass. If ah, two extra days, or whatever the schedule is, is so important, uhm, so be it. But this is the process, and these are the rules we have to follow - whether you like them, whether anyone else likes ‘em or dislikes ‘em, it’s immaterial.

Scarrow: But, again we’re coming up to another bylaw. We’re asking leave, I think? Councillor . . . Dionne.

Dionne: I’m looking forward to the meeting on on Wednesday morning. And they talked about process [Atkinson] and respect [Scarrow did - not Atkinson or Williams]. Well I hope they [he means Atkinson and Williams] show me the same respect as I take more time off to work to come in Wednesday and they show me the respect to be here to vote again against the budget - a zero increase - Wednesday at eight o’clock in the morning.

Williams: Actually, Councillor Dionne, I will be here. I will change my schedule. I will be here.

. . . . . . . . . . . [eight seconds of silence]

Scarrow: Okay, uh, the Clerk has just indicated that, unh unh, that he will give us a time of the council meeting following number ten, bylaw number ten. Okay. First reading.

Dionne: I’ll move that Bylaw number 10 be introduced and read a first time.

[Bylaw number ten passed two readings, then leave was granted to read it a third time. It passed third reading. There was no discussion at any of the four stages of the bylaw. City Clerk Skauge gave noon on Wednesday as the meeting time for third reading of bylaw #9. Councillor Williams, who had understood that the meeting was to be at 8 AM - because Scarrow and Dionne had said this - could not attend the noon meeting because he had to be in Regina at 12:30.]