Dear North Cowichan mayor and council:
Timely questions and answers are due before or during council’s Sept. 3, 2025, 5 p.m. debate about agenda item 12.4; our long-overdue review of critically necessary conflict-of-interest policies.
We applaud council and staff for seeking to update our conflict-and-disclosure rules. They seek to avoid and dispel — or confirm — perceived or real conflicts among councillors and developers.
Questions about conflict perception have sadly and seemingly plagued North Cowichan council for decades.
Of special interest is 12.4’s wording whereby a councillor "must consider" recusing themselves from voting on or debating an issue.
What if the councillor considers then decides against recusing?
Further, can the public, fellow councillors, staff, and senior governments also question if a councillor may be in possible conflict?
What if a councillor fails to disclose a perceived or known conflict?
Can they be penalized? Removed from council?
Next, it appears a councillor alone must decide if sensitive donations were made to them by a person conflicted with a council issue.
But what is the councillor doesn’t view the donation as conflict?
A list of donors’ names, amounts and receiving councillors is available from Elections B.C.
That list would logically be a starting point for council, staff, and citizens to determine a donor conflict, if given the councillors’ relationship with the donor.
Finally, regarding a councillor’s "sensitive meetings" with developers. Does a councillor alone decide if a meeting was sensitive?
From whom are councillors to "seek guidance" prior to voting about an issue that may be conflicted? Staff? Council?
Ultimately, our potential new policy — to help ensure trust in council and staff — sure has merit.
However, it seems council must publicly answer, clarify, and fine tune regarding these, and other pertinent questions, before policy 12.4 is considered for approval.
Yours in transparent democracy,
Peter W. Rusland
North Cowichan
