Editor:
I’m surprised by the vehement reaction to Coun. White’s declared conflict of interest in consideration of the proposed George Hotel. A declaration of a conflict is a transparent, responsible act intended to avoid controversy; that the statement in itself is controversial speaks to an intense level of engagement around local issues, normally a positive feature of our community.
At orientation sessions this past winter, new councillors were told that where an interest is held in common with other community members, a conflict does not typically apply. It was straightforward to infer that the proposed buildings would change the viewscape for a number of property owners, and that no individual councillor would be in a position of conflict. With regards to pecuniary interest, there is no certainty about how property values in the vicinity of the proposed George may be affected – they could go up, come down or stay the same if the project is realized.
Nonetheless, Coun. White is following recent advice from the Town’s legal counsel not to participate in the decision-making process for this particular proposal. An important message conveyed at orientation sessions was that one of an elected official’s primary roles is to manage risk; ignoring or challenging your own municipality’s legal advice clearly doesn’t fulfill that duty.
Jeremy Valeriote, councillor, Town of Gibsons
