Dear Editor:
It was disappointing, though perhaps not surprising, to read Mark Sager supporter David Marley’s recent letter to the editor, smearing several long serving District of West Vancouver employees and cavalierly dismissing serious allegations of bullying and harassment against Mayor Sager.
Unburdened by knowledge of the facts, Marley freely speculates on the reasons behind the departures of several senior staff members and implies that the complaints against Mayor Sager are unfounded. Marley has opinions, clearly. But neither he nor I, nor any member of the public for that matter, knows what has actually transpired.
What I do know is that Robert Bartlett, Mark Chan and Mark Panneton served the district faithfully, professionally and competently for many years. Chan and Panneton served under four very different mayors and nearly 20 councillors with consistently stellar performance reviews. Mr. Barlett has a long and distinguished career and was the clear choice after an exhaustive CAO search just three years ago. Marley’s suggestion that these individuals were let go because they were “reluctant at best to embrace the new reality” is entirely inconsistent with the history of these individuals. When the public gets wind of the very expensive severance packages that the taxpayer must now likely foot, it will become readily apparent that these departures didn’t stem from performance issues.
As for the ongoing investigation, Marley would be well advised to remember that every employer in B.C. has a legal obligation to prevent and address workplace harassment and bullying. People’s lives have been impacted. Before rendering his judgment, he’d be well advised to wait for the facts to emerge. A formal process has been invoked. Don’t rush to judgment just because of your personal or political sympathies. The law must be applied equally.
I don’t know the new CAO Scott Findlay from Adam. What I do know is that he was selected quickly, without a process befitting the position. Running a multi-million-dollar municipality requires a broad skill set and in-depth understanding of the Community Charter and other applicable laws. A CAO’s job is to make sure that council has the information it needs and follows the proper processes. Mr. Findlay is coming into this situation without the support of a deputy or a city clerk, so he’s going to have to hit the ground running. He’s there to protect the interests of the district, not to follow orders blindly or tell people what they want to hear. I wish him well in this regard.
Craig Cameron
West Vancouver
Craig Cameron was a West Vancouver municipal councillor from 2011 to 2022.
