ROTHENBURGER – Mayor would run again tomorrow despite ‘tight cuffs’
Reading of the St. Patrick’s Day manifesto, 2023. (Image: Mel Rothenburger)
I’LL BET YOU THOUGHT last Sunday was a celebration of the Irish missionary St. Patrick, a time to wear something green and drink green-coloured beer.
Well, that, too, but more importantly it was the anniversary of the St. Patrick’s Day manifesto, the day in 2023 when all eight City councillors gathered the media in council chambers to hear a prepared statement lambasting Mayor Reid-Hamer Jackson.
As you’ll recall, Coun. Katie Neustaeter read the document on behalf of the councillors, the said document accusing the mayor of “chaotic and unpredictable behaviour,” “repeated disrespect” and other things.
The sin that precipitated this event was the mayor’s decision to change the lineup of standing committees, removing some of the councillors as chairs and appointing several members of the public.
It was the height of disharmony between Hamer-Jackson and the councillors. So, have things gotten better in the year since?
“Worse,” says the mayor without hesitation.
His verdict is understandable. His committee appointments were reversed as councillors succeeded in replacing them with a set of “select” committees appointed by themselves.
A libel lawsuit he launched against Neustaeter drags on and is now being handled by a Vancouver legal firm. The City (i.e. taxpayers) is paying Neustaeter’s legal bills; the mayor is paying his own.
A series of investigations into allegations regarding the mayor’s conduct have been done but he’s still trying to get access to all of the reports.
Mel Rothenburger 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 has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Perhaps these folks did a thorough risk assessment of this action before it came to fruition.
Perhaps not.
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If they had, then the taxpayer wouldn’t be on the hook for Coun. Neustaeter’s legal costs right now. The councillors (and the administrators who sent out the media advisory and allowed the event to be held in council chambers) should have known that anyone accused of “crossing personal boundaries” would demand an explanation, an apology or lay a defamation claim.
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Actually, the major slur in the councillors’ March 17/23 media event was the statement that the mayor was “crossing personal boundaries,” which is open to broad interpretation. It was a very damaging statement, made worse b/c the councillors would not allow media questions at the time or after, so there was no explanation of what “crossing personal boundaries” actually entailed.
The situation was made worse when CAO Trawin would not allow the March 17/23 event to be considered official city business, so the mayor was not allowed to raise the issue or require an explanation.
In the absence of an explanation or apology from Coun. Neustaeter, the mayor’s only recourse was to lay a slander suit. And now taxpayers have to foot the bill for Coun. Neustaeter’s expensive Vancouver lawyers.
What a mess.
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