The woman who Pitt Meadows Coun. David Murray was convicted of sexually assaulting when she was 14 years old wants a byelection to replace him.
鈥淚鈥檓 disappointed in how you鈥檝e handled this situation every step of the way,鈥� she said to council on Tuesday through two women who read a statement from her.
The , who cannot be identified because of a publication ban, said his name should no longer appear in council minutes and asked for a byelection to replace him.
is currently on unpaid leave from council, and has tendered his resignation to take effect on Jan. 2., thus avoiding a byelection.
Council recently decided, by a 4-2 vote, to keep the number of councillors at six until the municipal election in October 2018.
Murray was of sexual assault on Oct. 25.
鈥淔or nearly four years now, I鈥檝e felt uncomfortable in my community, and unable to participate in activities I used to enjoy, out of fear of running into the man who molested me as a child,鈥� wrote the woman.
鈥淚鈥檝e had to opt out of community events, stay away from public forums, and battle anxiety attacks to enter the city hall.鈥�
She said that throughout the , she was told nothing could be done about her discomfort, because Murray remained innocent until proven guilty.
鈥淚鈥檓 wondering why his conviction isn鈥檛 enough for my community to start supporting me. Why you, Mr. Mayor, haven鈥檛 had the decency to start putting me first. When do I get to start feeling comfortable in my community?鈥� she said.
鈥淲hy do I have to wait two more months before I can stop seeing my abuser鈥檚 name listed as an employee of the City of Pitt Meadows or in the council minutes.鈥�
She said council should make his resignation effective immediately, remove his name from city minutes and hold a byelection.
The woman asked for a response from the mayor, but John Becker said that question period is not the time for debate.
鈥淵ou have been silent toward the victim through this entire thing. And your silence is deafening,鈥� said one of the victim鈥檚 representatives. 鈥淵ou haven鈥檛 protected our community. You鈥檝e failed.鈥�
Coun. Bruce Bell made a motion to not proceed with a byelection. He noted that if the byelection went ahead, it would not conclude until March, which would leave just seven months, and council takes the month of August off.
The cost of a byelection would be $30,000, according to a staff report.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see the value for the dollars in this,鈥� said Bell. 鈥淚 think this council can make decisions on behalf of the city.鈥�
He noted there is precedent, when Doug Bing remained on council after being elected MLA for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge.
Council did not support filling his position.
School District No. 42 also opted not to have a byelection to replace Lisa Beare as trustee after she was elected MLA for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge.
鈥淭hose are wise decisions,鈥� said Bell.
A byelection would have been triggered automatically if Murray had resigned when he was convicted, and Coun. Tracy Miyashita noted that he instead chose a Jan. 2 date for his resignation, which allowed council鈥檚 discretion.
鈥淚鈥檓 resentful as all get out that David is calling the shots on this one. That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 pissed off about,鈥� Miyashita said to a round of applause from the gallery.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I鈥檓 going to not support this option, because he shouldn鈥檛 be allowed to do that, and tell us what to do with the byelection.鈥�
Coun. Bill Dingwall said the cost and staff time are worth the benefit of having another councillor.
He said the there is an 鈥渆levated level of discussion and emotion in the community,鈥� and a decision to have a byelection would restore public trust in the city and council.
He said a byelection would empower Murray鈥檚 victim 鈥渂y saying people in positions of authority who have been convicted don鈥檛 continue to hold power. That鈥檚 important鈥�
And he said a decision for a byelection 鈥渓ives up to the spirit and intent of the community charter,鈥� in that the Jan. 2 date is not the date Murray left city business.
Dingwall said this byelection should not be compared with Bing鈥檚 situation, calling it extraordinary circumstances that have never happened before.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 overlay sexual assault of a 14-year-old with somebody departing to run for an MLA position. They鈥檙e not the same,鈥� he said, and also got round of applause.
Coun. Janis Elkerton said council has been down to six for 18 months without holding a byelection in the past, and said it takes a new councillor three to six months of experience before they become effective at the council table.
She said a byelection would lead to more politicking and interfere with good governance.
鈥淢y first consideration is whether city council can effectively serve the community with having just the six of us. I think the diversity of opinion is adequately reflected in the six of us,鈥� said Becker. 鈥淚 see no impairment to our effectiveness or efficiency by moving ahead with just six.鈥�
He said with the councillors stipend and byelection costs, council will be saving as much as $50,000 by continuing with six councillors. It would also disrupt staff and there is 鈥渁 massive amount of work to be done.鈥�
A member of the public, Patricia Gordon, noted during question period that, for all intents and purposes, Murray is already gone from council.
鈥淗is name plate is gone. His name is gone from the city webpage. And as of today, at about 3 o鈥檆lock, he is gone 鈥� he has been been Photoshop-ped out 鈥� from the group council photo that appears on the city webpage.鈥�
However, she noted, Murray is still listed on city minutes as being absent.
