Centre Wellington council met with the big discussion around Councilor Steven VanLeeuwen and the motion to remove him as deputy mayor.
VanLeeuwen recently joined the “End the Lockdown Caucus” causing the mayor to put the motion forward. Mayor Kelly Linton says the caucus attacks the government and local public health.
“We cannot afford to have a councilor using his title as deputy mayor to openly criticize federal, provincial, county and township governments including our approach to support the actions taken by our own Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.” said Mayor Linton.
Linton added the caucus doesn’t solve the current crisis and attacks the government.
“The End the Lockdown Caucus is a slap in the face. It turns our leaders and public health officials into villains. It is politicizing a pandemic.”
Councilor VanLeeuwen spoke during the meeting saying he wants to open a dialog and ensure more than just public heaths opinion is heard.
“It’s not that I need to remain as deputy mayor for my voice to be heard because I can be the councilor. But what I think it speaks to is the voices of the people, the people who have been harmed and the people who are suffering, their voices aren’t heard at the table.” said VanLeeuwen.
VanLeeuwen for the time being will keep his role as deputy mayor pending an integrity commissioner investigation.
