Mayor Andrew Black
Tantramar Mayor Andrew Black caught council watchers off-guard with a surprise announcement near the close of Monday’s committee of the whole meeting.
“One more,” he said raising an index finger. “I promise this will be the end,” he added peering down at his papers before launching into his announcement.
“The Mayor’s Round Table on Housing was created in August of last year to initiate a conversation about housing and the housing crisis and how to address those concerns within Tantramar,” Black said.
He went on to explain that he had reached out to knowledgeable people experienced in housing and community development.
“The goal of this group is to network with the intention of expanding that network as we progress,” he said.
“Our focus for the next couple of months is to have a larger stakeholder engagement session… a large event where we pull in people from our community,” he added later.
Black referred to the similar Mayor’s Round Table on Climate Change established in 2019 by former Sackville Mayor John Higham. It has since become a standing committee that meets periodically behind closed doors to come up with recommendations for council.
The mayor then asked Councillor Michael Tower, a member of the new round table, to report on what the group has been doing in its five meetings since August.
Councillor Michael Tower
“There are currently nine members to sit on the round table with the mayor as the chair,” Tower informed council.
“The group represents community members from three of the five wards of Tantramar with backgrounds in non-profit housing, co-op housing, provincial government, local government, Mount Allison administration as well as student life, heritage and outside the provincial housing experience.”
Later, after Councillor Debbie Wiggins-Colwell asked for the names of round table members, Tower gave a list: Megan Mitton, Donna Hurley, Margaret and Eric Tusz-King, Jeff Faulkner, Natalie Donaher, Bob Hickman and Sadie Shelly.
Closed-door meetings
During the public question period, Mayor Black said the round table’s meetings are not open to the public or press.
He explained that’s partly because a couple of its members were initiating housing developments that needed to be kept confidential. (Later, he identified the organizations concerned as Freshwinds Eco-Village Housing Co-operative and Sackville and Area Housing.)
Black said that’s why there have been no reports to the public or council since August.
As for opening future meetings to the public, Black said it’s something he could discuss with members of the round table to see if they are willing, but added later that the Mayor’s Round Table on Climate Change did not not hold public meetings. (Its successor, the Climate Change Advisory Committee, continues to meet behind closed doors.)
‘Easier to exclude public’
Mt. A. Politics Professor Geoff Martin
During a telephone interview, Mt. A. Professor Geoff Martin, who specializes in municipal politics, acknowledged that Tantramar needs to take action to tackle the shortage of affordable housing.
But, he said, holding closed-door meetings is another sign of the town’s disengagement from the public.
“The round table was appointed in August and we only find out about it many months later,” he added.
“Presumably it was appointed only by the mayor because if it’s a council action, it needs to be done in public and if it’s not a committee of council, then they can operate secretly and there’s not really much accountability.”
Martin, who served on Sackville council himself from 1998 to 2004, said four-year terms insulate members of council from the voters and the current reduction in public question periods to one, 15-minute session per month severely restricts public participation.
“Long-time residents of Sackville and even really all of Tantramar for that matter, will remember Dorothy Linkletter who would be rolling over in her grave now because in the late 90s and early 2000s, she was really a force for local democracy and openness and we’ve moved so much away from that unfortunately.”
Martin remembered with a laugh how as a councillor himself, he got a rough ride from Linkletter “more than once” during the days when citizens were to free to ask questions on any topic and sometimes interrupted council meetings.
“I was a third or fourth generation municipal councillor going back to other parts of New Brunswick and I was brought up with the idea that it’s always easier for the council to do things in secret, to shut down discussion, to discourage the people from engagement, but it’s not right in terms of democracy and it’s also self-defeating because if you’re not there for the people, the people won’t be there for you…
“The council may not realize it, but they do ultimately need public support for what they want to do and when things are done in secret, it’s very hard to get that public support because we also live in an era when people are suspicious of things that are done in secret even if there’s no reason to be.”
To read the town’s background document on the new round table, click here.
To read CHMA coverage of the new round table, click here.
Debbie Wiggens should step down for refusing to disclose what she did with public assets.
This is poorly written. Bruce, you may wish to improve your journalistic standards.
Margaret and Eric Tusz-King .. of course.. this duo were behind the new big shiny Town Hall Palace project years ago that no one asked for but enriched a Saint John firm… I’m sure they will do great things for all those unnamed struggling with housing poor people. Bruce Phinney worked on a co-op housing project years ago that never went anywhere so I am surprised he was left off this Roundtable of Achievers.. who never really seem to be able to achieve anything other than clucking.. Mike Tower blabbing about “tiny house” living makes me laugh… sure Mike.. let’s recommend people live in dog sheds and call it day huh? Politicians should be helpful in encouraging builders to build.. they don’t have the role of creating housing – they seem a bit confused.
And to quote Albert Einstein — “A FOOLISH FAITH IN AUTHORITY IS THE WORST ENEMY OF TRUTH.”
Well, so much for Mayor Black’s election promise of more transparency in our local government. It would be interesting to hear exactly what criteria he used when he hand-picked the members of his ’roundtable’. Perhaps he can explain as well why confidentiality is required during the initiation of housing developments – there might be a logical reason that he didn’t explain.
In any event, I hope that our Town Council will consult with this roundtable group for advice if it develops into an advisory committee similar to the Climate Change Advisory Committee. In correspondence with Tantramar’s Director of Community & Corporate Services this week, I was told that Town Council did not request advice last year from the CCAC during deliberations over the by-law revision to allow more drive-thrus or the deliberations over the by-law revision to allow a new apartment building in flood prone land, both of which would fall under the CCAC’s purview. This begs the question of exactly why these advisory committees are formed if our town government does not consult with them for their expert opinions. Perhaps they are mainly window dressing?
Thank you, New Wark Times. Your reporting is always well written, well researched and credible.
Re: Who Knew.
Perhaps we need a “round table” on secrecy/transparency and accountability.
Especially regarding issues supported by our tax dollars.
Certainly when transparency and accountability are at stake, the optics are not good in any scenario. Trust is lost.
Ps. Dorothy Linkletter was an admirable, intelligent lady. She was not afraid to speak out and she did so strongly and respectfully. She was a real advocate for the people on many issues. She took a lot of nonsense but did not back down! Dorothy was poetry in motion! Small in stature but with the heart of a lion.
Knowledge is power! It looks looks like we have a ‘me’ Mayor and in politics perception is every thing. Even after the truth comes out the printed word often perpetuates the misjustices and unintended consequences no matter how good the intentions.
Citizen Jeff Martin pointed some of the flaws in the Mayors “round table’, conducted behind closed doors on affordable housing.
Side stepping the council mauver indicating disrespect for council and citizens crosses over to being prideful and this is where many a potential leader stumbles.
Once elected the office of Mayor isn’t about what he or she is going to do.
Yes the Mayor is first among equals. But when not presiding over a regular meeting the Mayor is just another councilor .
Pride cometh before a fall and Mayor Black as “mayor has that “engendered feeling “I” equal your vote then some.. Citizens and councilors of course recognize that even among equals some one has to lead. Members should also accord mutual respect to the office of Mayor. The Mayor is responsible for efficient government and to ensure compliance with polices and procedures that are out lined in statutes and common law (New Act is loaded with common law) which appears either by ignorance (Claims he didn’t read the statues )or or perhaps stupidity the Mayor has been somewhat negligent, maybe.
The night the Mayor took the oath of office that during his tenure to enact governance that was ‘transparent’ and deliver responsible government that was both efficient and in compliance with policies and procedures (federal and provincial statues and common law) and above all over sight of the financial health of Tantramar.
Council is no one person. Not even the Mayor. So, whether specified in statue or implied in common law, there is an obligation on the mayor to keep council informed of activities with which the office of mayor is involved and advise the council of matters which require { ATTENTION,AND CHANGE,OR CORRECTION}.
Authority rests with no individual; only the council. (that’s in precedent laws)
A great idea perhaps hindered by compromising or co-opting council from the start. Council must know that you are a shame for local governance, but continue supporting any way the death of council and your citizens.
Sociologist William Gamson defined co-optation as “challengers gaining power without do process. “Of course the adding members to an elite group at the Mayors discretion on the grounds of their elite status, specialist knowledge . Tantramar council was given elite status through universal suffrage by citizens the highest recommendation one might receive from their community. The restrictions on all the facts you need to see before you deliberate are filtered.
After 30 some years I’m local politics imbued with the psychology phenomena ‘pareidolia,. I’ve seen this all before.
1895 Gustave Le Bon, Read by Hitler and other dictators. Herbert Spencer noticed that the decrease of real liberty hardly noticed in increasing regulations and codes that leave administrations untouched while councils to a great measure are left blinded, and then of course Carlo m. Cipolla the laws of stupidity. The reason why democracies elect the people, or choose them to be on juries is that ordinary citizens
have to make sense of smart talk. for they are the ones reduced to being resigned ,”to living from hand to mouth without too much concerns for a future we cannot control. ”
Council September 2011 Moncton to Fredericton official. How is council to communicate concerns to the minster if there is no correspondence no minutes or agenda.? ‘ The Answer there is a council of Mayors/Chairs at the Minsters forum (round Table) . They are the Minsters advisors’. Council ,ask see to the minutes unedited of these round table observation. A real committee,
1. When did council ratify the new name and purpose of the new double speak climate committee?
2, Wait a minute. Better still share the minutes and how the topic was researched. References please.
3. Army taught me to never reinforce a bad strategy. (acting out side council )
4. Finally, NB is a wonderful example of messing things up with experts and other high IQs.
5. So council retreat when its a ‘Charlie Foxtrot Its your head!