The provincial government has introduced legislation that will require an elected local government official to be suspended for a fee when facing a criminal charge and expelled from the council if convicted. BC Minister for Municipal Affairs Nathan Cullen introduced the legislation on Thursday. “These changes are what the municipal leaders were asking for. These changes are what the public expects. “These are changes that we are seeking to implement as a government.” The proposed legislation has since prompted some Surrey City Council members to call on Mayor Doug McCallum to step down, at least temporarily. Coun. Jack Hundial said the proposed legislation should give McCallum more impetus to step down as mayor even before it is formally passed. “I will definitely push for Mayor McCallum to do the right thing and resign until the matter is settled in court. “The spirit and intent behind the law is there. Here’s a great example to apply. “At the end of the day, it has to do with the public’s trust in leadership,” Hundial said. McCallum is due to appear in court on April 11 as he faces a charge of public misconduct for allegedly lying to police after an apparent altercation with Surrey residents outside a grocery store in South Surrey over the police’s move. of the mayor last September. McCallum then claimed in the media and police that his foot was trampled on by a citizen allegedly affiliated with the Keep the RCMP in Surrey group who was collecting signatures for a transition referendum in order to retain the Surrey RCMP. Shortly afterwards, a Crown Special Prosecutor was assigned to the case to deal with a possible conflict of interest with Surrey’s RCMP. Prosecutor Richard Fowler announced the indictment last December. McCallum has since hired lawyer Richard Peck. McCallum declined to comment on the case and did not respond to media reports of this week’s calls to resign, including Counsel. Linda Annie. “If there are charges of criminal activity, they should resign on leave until their case is heard and, if convicted, they should resign,” Anis said. Annis and Hundial point out that paid suspensions and expulsions in the event of a conviction will also affect the supporting roles of a board member. In McCallum’s case, he would lose his position as chairman of the Surrey Police Council and run for Metro Vancouver and City Council – the latter two being related to regional planning. The legislation is supported by the Union of Municipalities K.K.E. (UBCM). “Local governments have called for changes in legislation and these changes strike the right balance between justice and good governance,” UBCM President Laurey-Anne Roodenburg said in a statement issued by the county. Cullen said the Local Government Act, the Community Charter, the Islands Trust Act and the Vancouver Charter would be amended to address the requirements. Along with the new requirements for local elected officials charged or convicted of criminal offenses, the amendments revise nine pieces of legislation under the 2022 Municipal Amendment Act and will:
repeal the law on the Auditor General for Local Government, as the office closed in 2021 and is unnecessary legislation; clarification of the authority of local governments over electronic meetings and the subdivision of non-agricultural land; update the Vancouver Charter to provide gender neutral language. and provide the city of Vancouver with the same principle that all other local governments have for benchmarking.
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