Second councillor this term to leave position
Councillor Marcus Reuter will offer his resignation to Lions Bay Council later today.
Reuter, who has been noticeably absent from council meetings of late, said he has made the decision “with a heavy heart.”
“I can no longer pretend that things are working for the Village at the Council or staff levels and am unable to affect any change or address important issues by continuing as a Councillor,” he said in a statement to The Watershed. (Full text of Reuter's statement can be found HERE).
“This has proven extraordinarily frustrating, disappointing and highly concerning in equal measures. The working environment of this Council, since the beginning, has been toxic in the extreme. And regrettably this has only accelerated in the last year and a half."
Lions Bay's current council has been hamstrung by controversy and division since its hotly-contested inception in 2022, when Mayor Ken Berry gained his seat by 18 votes.
The Mayor's message in the December 9, 2022 edition of the Village Update announced the resignation of Councillor Norm Barmeier, and that Chief Administrative Officer Peter deJong and Chief Financial Officer Pamela Rooke, both long-serving staff of the Village, would be "moving on".
This was followed by a slew of departures, and a Council that has stumbled to meet basic deadlines. Municipalities are required by the Community Charter to file an Annual Report each year by June 30 for the previous year. Lions Bay's most recent Annual Report filing is from 2022, and was filed late. After completing the 2022 Audit, BDO Canada, the long-term auditing firm for the Village departed the position last year, citing a list of concerns with the actions of the current council. MNP LLP, an accounting firm from Vancouver Island was subsequently hired last July, but no audit information for 2023 has yet been publicly released.
Reuter says he has been troubled by what he calls “serious ethical breaches” during this term, but did not provide specific details.
“We are in deep trouble and cannot, either ethically or financially, continue down this road,” he added.
The next regular council meeting is scheduled for this evening, with the closed portion beginning at 6 p.m., followed by the open portion of the meeting at 7 p.m.
The Watershed has reached out to members of council for reaction to Reuter's resignation, and whether another byelection will be forthcoming.
The Watershed welcomes your thoughts. Leave your comments below, or email us at editor@lionsbaywatershed.ca
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I am so sorry to hear this news, but I can quite understand why you, Marcus, came to this difficult decision. Thank you for all the time you have put in on our behalf.
Thank you Marcus!
I am sure this was a difficult decision, and I want to thank you for all the work you have put in!