Joscelyn Barnard has announced her resignation from North Sanich council — just a few weeks after being sworn in.
She was one of six councillors elected by acclamation in the municipality. Barnard and Brett Smyth were acclaimed as newcomers. Four incumbents were also acclaimed: Heather Gartshore, Jack McClintock, Celia Stock and Murray Weisenberger.
Barnard said she stepped up to be on council because “no one else would do it.”
“I wasn’t maybe as invested in the whole thing as people who really have to fight for the position, admittedly,” she said. “I have two kids, two part-time jobs, so it just got to a point where I don’t need this anymore.”
Barnard said that what goes on at the municipal office “needs to be reviewed.”
In a statement, she called on the minister of municipal affairs and housing, the B.C. Ombudsperson’s Office and newly elected North Saanich Mayor Geoff Orr “to conduct an independent third-party audit of the corporate culture and practices at the district, and consider changes to the Community Charter to improve transparency and accountability to the public in all municipalities.”
She also wrote that she didn’t like the system in place: “What I found … was a system that can be manipulated to silence persistent councillors and suppress difficult information through in camera meetings, threats of publicly funded litigation, severance demands and labour laws.”
The inaugural council meeting was on Nov. 5.
Barnard said that while she has been in office for only a short time, she did a lot to prepare for the job after it became apparent she would be in by acclamation.
“Knowing that I was going to be in the job — and I knew that Sept. 14 — I have immersed myself in collecting information and interviewing people and reading every report I could get my hands on, looking at minutes from meetings,” she said.
Barnard said she won’t change her mind.
“I’ve seen behind the curtain and it’s not pretty.”
Orr said the remaining councillors will be able to function.
“We’re down one here early in the term, so that will cause some adjustments to various things,” he said. “I don’t think it will really compromise our ability to operate.
“But it’s not the start that I think any of us wanted.”
Orr noted that Barnard came forward near the end of the nomination period.
“I don’t know whether that had any bearing on this in terms of Ms. Barnard’s knowledge of what the role entailed to any kind of degree.”
He said the municipality will wait and see if a byelection is required.
“We don’t know yet,” Orr said. “My understanding is that we will get something from our corporate officer that will outline the steps ahead.”
