Duelling townsite councils face off in Redwood Meadows

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Final week, whereas one Redwood Meadows city board held a public assembly, one other additionally claimed to signify the group.

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It is the end result of months of anger involving accusations of intimidation, fiscal incompetence and an influence seize that has pitted its lawmakers towards one another and left residents pissed off locally west of Calgary, higher recognized for its bucolic foothills golf course.

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After considerations about what many in Redwood Meadows noticed as troubling monetary negligence over the city’s price range, notably investments in a rugby area and skating rink and allegations that the incumbent council rejected affords of management, a bunch of dissenters held a gathering that was attended by greater than 300. individuals.

On the Nov. 30 assembly, 98 p.c of those that forged a poll referred to as for the council’s elimination, together with Mayor George Allen, mentioned Paul Sawler, who was chosen to interchange him on an interim foundation.

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“It was the most important turnout of any election ever held right here,” Sawler mentioned.

“To say there may be discontent locally would actually be on the low finish of the dimensions.”

Dissidents are calling for an election

The group that lobbied for the assembly consists of 4 former mayors and 4 former deputy mayors of the city web site of about 1,200 residents close to Bragg Creek.

Two present Redwood Meadows council members, Gordon Tate and Dave Dunay, additionally joined the dissenters, who’re calling on the remaining 4 council members to step apart and maintain an election inside 60 days.

However Allen refused, insisting his opponents have been performing undemocratically and in violation of the bylaws of the city, which, not like a municipality, has society standing as a result of it leases its land from the Tsuut’ina First Nation.

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“They did not observe the suitable course of – they have been knowledgeable about it by our legal professionals and so they selected to go forward with it,” Allen mentioned.

“This group is utilizing our quasi-municipality standing to bully the council into doing what they need executed.”

Whereas Allen mentioned there have been spending shortfalls, he claims a few of them are linked to pandemic pressures or stemmed from selections made by a few of these now calling for his ouster.

The true motive for the revolt, he mentioned, is dissatisfaction with the council’s desire for mayor and knowledge that has come to mild about issues with the group’s water purification system that’s inconvenient for his opponents.

Accusations of bullying, harassment

The dispute, he mentioned, led to a number of of his enemies arriving at his residence and demanding his resignation, utilizing threats and intimidation.

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“They bullied — that was their sport,” Allen mentioned.

“They harassed city employees — I walked into city corridor and employees have been crying. They instructed employees they now report back to them.”

Tsuut’ina police have been referred to as in response to a few of the incidents, he mentioned, however no prices have been laid.

The group, he mentioned, took over energy, issued notices with Redwood Meadows logos and adjusted locks on city services.

When the parallel board met in particular person on Dec. 20, Allen’s board referred to as a digital on-line assembly as a result of “this group is so vocal and aggressive.”

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However he will not deny that his opponents have important help amongst residents, citing the 150 individuals who attended their Dec. 20 assembly.

“It is actually alarming … they used varied means to incite residents,” Allen mentioned.

However Allen – who stepped into the mayor’s position three weeks in the past after his predecessor resigned, partially due to the rebellion – mentioned he wouldn’t surrender his volunteer place.

‘It is ugly’

Former mayor John Welsh in contrast Allen to Donald Trump for the previous US president’s refusal to confess defeat, including that the November 30 “vote of no confidence” was accepted by the provincial registrar.

“He simply would not need to go away, what we do not know is why,” mentioned Welsh, who accused Allen of utilizing city funds to rent a PR agency and legal professionals to keep up energy.

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Each Sawler and Welsh deny that their group used threats or intimidation and accused Allen of utilizing these techniques.

“I used to be instructed I’d be sued — it is ugly, there isn’t any query about it,” Welsh mentioned.

Allen, Welsh and Sawler mentioned, was awarded and by no means elected and dishonestly makes use of democracy as a defend.

Each side mentioned they provided olive branches to the opposite however have been rebuffed and each say the battle is prone to find yourself in court docket.

“Have an election to wash this up or we’ll spend two years in court docket — it is loopy,” Welsh mentioned, including that some efforts are underway to finish the battle.

Due to the city’s standing as a society, the province can’t step in and dissolve its council over dysfunction, he mentioned.

Allen mentioned he brings technical expertise the city web site desperately wants, particularly because it strikes to take care of its beleaguered water therapy system.

“I might prefer to be centered on our infrastructure issues,” he mentioned.

“Being in a volunteer place and having one thing like this occur shouldn’t be one thing I anticipated.”

BKaufmann@postmedia.com

Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn