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Smith says it’s all about trust

Delta independent council candidate Mike Smith says it’s all about restoring the public’s trust in elected members of council.
mike smith
Independent council candidate Mike Smith

Delta independent council candidate Mike Smith says it’s all about restoring the public’s trust in elected members of council.

Following up on his challenge for all council and mayoralty candidates, including the incumbents, to sign pledges they will not to receive “golden handshake” payouts, Smith says he’s still waiting for most to accept or even acknowledge the challenge.

“My challenge early on in this election for everyone including these incumbents who thought they could get away with it without any public discussion or consultation still stands. Who will sign a pledge that they won’t vote themselves this extra taxpayer cash in their pockets for the future?” said Smith in a news release.

Smith says it’s good to see that after he raised the issue this campaign that mayoralty candidate Jim Cessford on social media described golden handshakes “as neither fair nor affordable” but what about the rest of his slate?

“After I made the challenge, I see on the televised council meeting that now Coun. Jeannie Kanakos is changing her tune by coming out with a motion to review the golden handshakes, but only after being publicly challenged,” he said. “It’s strange that she stood to potentially cash in over $34,000 as of this October and staunchly defended voting in favour of golden handshakes in the media by arguing ‘the work of a councillor has transitioned from being more part-time to a full-time job.’ What’s changed since then? Lost votes?”

In a media release issued earlier this week Cessford said he agrees that the public needed to be consulted on this important issue.

“The first order of business as your mayor will be to go to the residents for input,” said Cessford. “Independents Working For You, have listened and heard the public state very clearly that that the past service policy is not fair or affordable for our City.”

Smith also wonders why the Achieving for Delta slate led by mayoralty candidate George Harvie, who wrote the recommendation for the payouts when he was city manager, remains silent on the issue.

“Either sign the pledge or defend the golden handshakes. This isn’t going away,” added Smith. “I look forward to seeing all the candidate responses in public.”

The golden handshakes will see the incumbent council receive one-time payouts based on years of service. Backdating for 12 years, they receive the cash if retiring or get defeated in municipal elections.

Smith says the recommendation was buried in a report about salary increases last year and not a single member of council mentioned it. It came to light only after media scrutiny over one year later.

Smith says many Delta residents agree that what the current council members did was inappropriate and have lost trust in them.