I would like to take this opportunity to thank our former mayor, Judy Stewart, for organizing a get-together of like-minded people last week (Oct. 23).
For those of you that missed it, this was a meeting to try to support one of our embattled council members, Ms. Marni Fedeyko. For months now Ms. Fedeyko appears to have been targeted by a voting block within council chambers. The only apparent reason for this targeting is due to her consistent efforts to ask questions and to make a motion calling for whistleblower protection.
I don’t claim to know all the information about the code of conduct allegations against Ms. Fedeyko, however, from what I do know and from what I’ve personally seen, she is being forced to work in an environment of rampant conjecture, scolding, a complete breakdown of basic procedural rules and intimidation within council chambers. That is unacceptable to me.
Just when I think I’ve seen it all, something else comes up and I’m left wondering who would be willing to take it to such extremes? What other information are we not aware of?
But there’s another level of concern here; what will happen to anyone else who is critical of council/administration in the future? Will they then become targets? Will decisions be made about their future behind closed doors away from public scrutiny? Will they then have their taxpayer dollars used to silence and punish them? This is something that should concern us all.
The next municipal election is coming but without the safeguards in place that Ms. Fedeyko’s whistleblower legislation was meant to establish. Council is answerable to us, the Cochrane taxpayer, so when we cast our votes next year, lets make sure we keep this in mind.
Dan Cunin,
Cochrane, AB
