In a perfect world there would be no need for defined rules, laws or codes of conduct. This brings me to item 10.2 on the agenda of St. Albert City Council’s meeting of 08/22/16 that dealt with the pending Council Code of Conduct. There is no current city councillor who can honestly claim that he or she has never committed a deed or misdeed in their role of office that might deserve some degree of scrutiny yet in his diatribe on the matter, Mayor Crouse, who in the course of his tenure has been implicated in numerous transgressions, spoke in a not unusual condescending manner on the subject. While the examples he provided may have had some validity, it is the manner of delivery reflecting a ‘holier than thou’ attitude that brings to fore the biblical quote, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” (John 8:7).
Such antics are completely unacceptable for any person regardless of their status in society but even more so when demonstrated by a person who holds a position of leadership such as a mayor. True leaders are adept at bringing people together and collaboratively resolving differences on issues pertaining to the common good. Whether by design or default, Mayor Crouse’s actions or inactions serve only to perpetuate the divisions within St. Albert City Council.
The proliferation of ‘in camera’ sessions is concerning in its own right as it thwarts the ideal of open democracy. Ironically, this need for confidentiality did not prevent the mayor from releasing sensitive information to the press in the form of councilor emails that were the primary content of the lead story in the Saturday, Aug. 27 issue of the St. Albert Gazette. It is quite apparent that the hypocrisy is never ending leading to the conclusion that something has to give.
Ending on a brighter note, with the ‘change of command’ in the city’s administration there is now proper leadership being exercised with Mr. Chris Jardine, who should have occupied the position of city manager long ago, successfully getting things back on track. Code or no code, it is up to the citizenry and electorate to effect such a turn-around at the council level via the municipal election of 2017 or better yet, before.
In the meantime Mr. Mayor, until you have been elevated to a much higher status from which you can speak with infallibility, please spare us any further pontifications.
Murray Lambert, St. Albert
