EDITORIAL – A new week, another leak, and another surprise from the mayor

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

WHAT WOULD A MONDAY BE without another development in the adventures at City Hall?

The latest is that Mayor Reid-Hamer Jackson has now rescinded his appointments of community volunteers to standing committees, saying he doesn’t want them to become “targets” in the disagreements between him and City councillors.

From my perspective, it likely won’t assuage the indignation of those councillors.

The special three-member committee to be named by Deputy Mayor Kelly Hall probably won’t change directions based on the mayor’s latest decision. But the circumstances around that decision deserve examination.

The mayor told me on the weekend it took all of an hour and a half for his Friday letter withdrawing the appointments to get to at least one news outlet. He had already told the appointees of the decision, with the letter going to councillors and some key staffers.

Let’s clear up the question of whether or not the two leaked emails were confidential. No, the word “confidential” did not appear at the top of the emails. But they did include a detailed tagline including the words “This email and any attachments are only for the use of the intended recipient and must not be distributed, disclosed, used or copied by or to anyone else without the written consent of the sender.”

And, no, the content itself was not intended to remain a secret. The emails were simply advance information, “heads up” courtesies about something that was about to be made public.

What purpose could someone have in jumping the gun before the mayor had a chance to release the information himself? Clearly, it’s being done for political advantage, to put the mayor on the defensive.

How can this council — and City Hall, for that matter — function properly if internal communications are going to be used for political gamesmanship?

It can’t. If the leaker is found, he or she should be marched out of City Hall, never to return.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops, former TNRD director and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.