UNION BAY, B.C- Despite last weekend’s election, the trustee board of Union Bay doesn’t have any official new faces just yet.
The stalled handover of power from trustees Glenn Loxam and Peter Jacques to inbound trustees Paul Healey and Hein Vandenberg has been confirmed by trustee board chair Ted Haraldson, who spoke with the MyComoxValleyNow.com newsroom on Thursday.
The previous day, Haraldson had announced the postponement of the community’s annual general meeting, set for this evening, due to fears of violence at the event.
RELATED: https://www.mycomoxvalleynow.com/53442/union-bay-chair-cancels-public-meeting-over-fear-of-violence/
After the announcement, there were concerns that Haraldson had acted unilaterally, given trustee Susanna Kaljur’s opposition to the decision and trustee Rick Bitten’s absence.
However, Haraldson stated today that outgoing trustees Glenn Loxam and Peter Jacques had voted in favour of the decision.
“The new trustees that were voted in, they haven’t been sworn in, so they’re officially not trustees until they’re sworn in as trustees and do the oath, which they wish to do after the AGM,” said Haraldson.
Asked if that was a process laid out in a bylaw for Union Bay, Haraldson stated that the new trustees were “not official” until they swear an oath of office, under rules laid out by the province. This means Jacques and Loxam will remain in office, until the community’s annual general meeting.
“You usually have an inauguration, and you welcome Paul and Hein in, have them swear the oath, and they become trustees,” said Haraldson.
“It’s quite simple.”
As for whether or not he was comfortable with that chain of events, Haraldson indicated he was.
Because of what happened the other day, at this COW (committee of the whole) meeting that never got off the ground, I was concerned about the safety of all concerned, for employees of the improvement district, the landowners, I want an AGM that is going to be under control,” said Haraldson.
“I do not want people to be getting into the confrontations we had the other day, especially with 200 people.”
He was also comfortable with Loxam and Jacques remaining as trustees.
“Until their term is up, the term is up when we swear in the new trustees,” said Haraldson.
“Their term is not completed until the new trustees are sworn in. All trustees have to be sworn in, before they begin their term.”
He hadn’t heard back from the provincial municipal affairs ministry about the re-scheduling of the AGM when speaking to the newsroom, but said residents should not go to the community hall tonight.
A request for comment on the entire situation has been sent to the provincial municipal affairs ministry.
