Editor:
Re: Hand well played, Murphy’s Law, Dec. 13
Mayor George Harvie did not “emerge from this one looking pretty good.”
I don’t, at all, begrudge elected municipal officials some form of retirement compensation as they leave their elected positions. As has been discussed extensively, however, the process that gave Delta the much maligned “handshake” policy was faulty - in the extreme.
That said, the various recent municipal campaign positions that were expounded reeked of lack of insight and simple opportunism - when candidates (including the current mayor) were confronted with the negative public reaction to this issue.
To now suggest that Harvie “emerged looking pretty good,” is disingenuous. I am not sure how sums discharged to departing councillors were distributed, but none of the departing beneficiaries of this compensatory program were eligible to receive any monies until after the new mayor and council were sworn into their positions.
Given the controversy swirling and the announced policy position of the new mayor, those payments that are described in your article as “already collected” could have and should have been delayed, pending the review of this policy advertised throughout the campaign of the now new mayor.
That approach to this matter would have allowed you to suggest that Harvie was looking “pretty good.” Currently he looks tarnished.
Firth Bateman
