By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
The Village of McBride cancelled two consecutive regular Council meetings in May, violating the Village’s Council Procedure Bylaw. The Village has not responded to The Goat’s multiple requests for comment on these cancellations.
McBride has not held a regular Council meeting since April 25th. CAO Jeanette McDougall issued a notice of cancellation four days before the next meeting, which had been scheduled for May 14th. The notice did not include a reason for the cancellation, and McDougall did not respond to The Goat’s email asking why the meeting was cancelled.
McDougall issued a notice of cancellation for a second meeting on May 27th – just one day before the meeting was scheduled – due to lack of quorum.
According to the Community Charter, which provides a statutory framework for municipal governments throughout B.C., local government councils must meet regularly in accordance with their procedure bylaws.
McBride’s procedure bylaw states regular Council meetings cannot be cancelled twice in a row. While the bylaw says the Corporate Officer must publicly give notice of changes to the Village’s meeting schedule as soon as possible, it does not include a specific timeframe for issuing notices of cancellation or postponement.
The Village’s next meeting has been rescheduled from June 11th to June 19th, also due to lack of quorum.
