Our editorial war room was inundated with calls this morning to ask what the bombshell was. As reported yesterday in our "Cat Out of The Bag" article, Mayor Rick Green announced his candidacy for re-election as Mayor of the Township of Langley. That was the bombshell we spoke of and was awaiting confirmation of. You can read all about it here in the Langley Times. An immediate reaction came from The Times Editor (and old pal of Green from Delta days) which can be accessed here.
It's clear from the press coverage and comments that Green has no regard for the Community Charter and doesn't see the need for the mayor to represent the "will of council" in other meetings. While individual councillors can speak their minds, the mayors have always represented the majority "will of council" as a uniting force. This is also required under the mayor's Oath of Office that is vastly different from the Oath of Office that members of Council take.
Green makes these statements regarding "speaking out", "fighting" this or that, etc. as mere politicking. Mayor Green has for many months accused Council of continuing to fight the last election. He took the same shot at them basically in his announcement.
If the electorate reviewed this fan fare by Green and Bucholtz for an election that is about 20 months away, one must conclude that Green is the one that has not stopped fighting the last election and in fact will now use his office as mayor to further his political future. Just like that Mayoral Chain of Office. Rest assured that each and every decision by Mayor Green moving forward will now be measured against re-election, garnering more supporters that will convert to voters, and playing to the whims of his vocal Milner Green supporters.
The Times (with Bucholtz at the helm of content), would like to see nothing better than to see a 1999 style election. It makes for lots of he said, she saids, sensational headlines and the potential for greater ad dollars as readership spikes upwards. Judging by the slim amount of pages and the end of a Sunday edition of The Times, the paper needs all the help they can get.
Mayor Green may get his wish at a chance to try new things and such. Moral with key Township staff is at an all-time low and we are certain that if Green was re-elected, retirements and resignations would follow. This would be a catastrophic brain drain for the Township and one that could set us back 10-20 years. Reserves would be plundered. Illegally plundered we assume, as Green's recommendations fly in the face of legal requirements. Infrastructure would certainly crumble and take years to rebuild. At that point Green could ride into the sunset on his horsey and that would be that.
What is more chocking is the reaction of The Langley Advance in all of this. While the Advance presents more balanced stories and Editorial Opinions, they are certainly not holding this current mayor's feet to the fire as that editor did to Former Mayor Kurt Alberts. Perhaps it's because Green appears more intimidating to them and his bully style has made them impotent? Maybe some massive doses of reporter and editor Viagra is required to help them out?
4 comments:
20 months or 1 month, let us hope this is Greens segway in to retirement, the Township can not afford to have his style of leadership and continual whinning any longer. Waiting 20 months is going to kill us.
Let the man beat his brains out for the next 20 months - so what. He is so full of hot air and himself the Township voters will catch on and he will be a one term wonder. Promises made not subtantiated, he has no collaborative skills, can't work with Council or staff he is a bust!
The stupid question I have is he states we have $500 million dollars worth of property to put in the Property Endowment Fund? I have to state it is impossible that the Township actually have anywhere close to that for resale purposes. That must include parks, the LEC, Civic Hall, Operations Centre etc. etc. Wasn't it closer to like $11 or $15 million actually available?
I think the value was in the $80 million range from earlier reports but much of that as I recollect may be book value but what is the true value of an expended gravel pit in Glen Valley that needs to be remediated before selling.
Fred (Horny Toad) McNeill may want to buy it to expand his magic mushroom growing operation......who knows!
Do the math $20 million in the property fund at 1.5% interest is $300,000 or roughly $6.00 this year off your tax bill of $65......and Green's math gets it to 0% tax increase - peanuts!
I am DISGUSTED that Mayor Green has started the Nov 2011 election campaign 20 months out. This leadership is disgraceful. It sets us up for almost 2 years of poking and mud-slinging at the Township Hall, around the Council Table, in the papers and, ultimately, in the community.
This is a community-dividing move. And, in my opinion, a career-ending move.
A mayor is supposed to be "...a member of Council (who) represents the Council declaring its will and implicitly obeying its decisions in all things." (www.ubcm.ca).
Mayor Green is operating like "THE" Member of Council rather than "A" Member of Council.
Is Mayor Green the 2010 version of "Colonel Custer"?
Custer had a similar aggressive, lead-the-charge style. He made similar mistakes. He (too) acted on faulty assumptions, "While the village was enormous in size, Custer thought there were far fewer warriors to defend the village. He assumed most of the warriors were still asleep in their teepees. (Township folk are not asleep in their teepees. They are "the sleeping giant" that should be left alone for several more months!)
Custer was severely criticized for not having accepted reinforcements and for dividing his forces." (Sound familiar?? Mayor Green could learn from Custer!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Little_Bighorn.
Stop the show-boating. Work WITH Council. Be part of this TEAM-for-the-Township. Do what you say you 'want to do'. Get on with it!
Put the election (Battle at Little Bighorn?) back to bed!
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