PITT MEADOWS, BC – A motion approved by Pitt Meadows Council to give municipalities the power to suspend or remove an elected official convicted of a criminal offence has passed a vote of BC municipalities at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Convention. The motion is to lobby the provincial government to make legislative changes to the BC Community Charter.
“I have been working on this commitment to our community for over a year and I am very pleased that we finally have the results and process demanded by not just our residents but communities and elected officials all over the Province,” said Mayor John Becker. “Councillor Janis Elkerton and I championed this motion at LMLGA but fell short one vote in two tie votes. She and I were up on Sunday at UBCM to lobby Mayors and Councillors to have this passed.”
The Disqualification from Holding Elected Office motion would require that an elected government official be put on unpaid leave immediately or disqualified from holding office upon conviction of a serious criminal offence or until the expiration of the time to file an appeal or determination of an appeal.
The City of Terrace proposed a similar motion that an elected local government official be required to take a paid leave of absence from office upon Crown approval of charges until the court process is complete. That motion also passed.
Currently there are limited provisions in the B.C. Community Charter that specifically sets out where elected officials can be disqualified from office, such as conflict of interest, failing to attend meetings or not taking an oath of office. But being convicted of a criminal offence after bring elected is not one of them.
In 2017, the City was faced with a Council member, David Murray, who was convicted of a crime and Council had no recourse to remove him. After a direct discussion with and demand by Mayor Becker he agreed to resign from Council and took no part in City Council activities from that point on.
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