The issue around Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov’s decision as to whether he should stay in office despite opposition from some members of the community and his own council has now moved from PoMo city hall to the B.C. legislature.
Thursday, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Selina Robinson, who is also a Coquitlam-Maillardville NDP MLA, told the house she “hoped” the mayor would “listen to the community and do the right thing” in response to a question from Todd Stone, MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson.
The statement is similar to one sent by her ministry to The Tri-City News Wednesday in which the minister said: “This has been a difficult situation for Port Moody city council and for the community. Community members need to have confidence in their elected officials, and it is also a fundamental tenet of Canadian law that a person charged is innocent until proven guilty. It is up to the city council to express their views, and in this case, the majority has voted for the mayor to step aside while the case is still before the courts. Local governments cannot compel an elected official to take leave, though I would hope that the mayor, like any elected official, would consider what is in the best interests of the community as a whole.”
Robinson’s ministry has been looking into the issue of elected officials charged with criminal offences since it was raised by B.C. mayors at the 2018 Union of BC Municipalities convention and, in a statement, her ministry said it would continue to look into the matter, although it provided no timeline.
“Ministry staff have been actively looking at the requests made through the UBCM resolutions last year, and will be providing options on how to better support local governments in these types of situations, including whether legislative changes are needed,” stated Megan Lowery, public affairs officer for the ministry.
Such support from the ministry would please Vagramov, who said municipalities need guidance on the issue. Tuesday, he sided with his council colleagues on a motion to write the minister asking the provincial government to develop a process for local governments to follow if an elected official is accused of a criminal offence.
“If the province had a system in place where council could not interfere with but legislated that people took a paid leave of absence, or an unpaid leave of absence, whatever it may be. I think that would be a lot more beneficial to a community than statements issued in the press,” Vagramov told The Tri-City News.
Vagramov said he still hasn’t made a decision as to whether he should take another leave until his legal issues are resolved and said he is taking to heart the opinions of people who spoke at Tuesday’s council meeting.
“I cannot communicate sincerely enough the fact that I am taking every comment that we receive to heart… With the exception of the obvious political posturing that might be happening,” Vagramov told the Tri-City News, saying he hasn’t yet made a decision as to whether he is staying or taking another leave.
“[The decision to stay or go is] is definitely being considered,” he added.
He took issue with the suggestion that he said he believes the opposition is all political, saying he heard people’s concerns and doesn’t take their opposition to his staying in the mayor’s chair lightly.
“It's not very easy to stare down people who are coming with personal stories, and they're trying to express their opinion and perspective when it contradicts mine. Yeah, it's not an easy process to go through. And to just suggest, casually, that I am implying that all of the input we've received in opposition to my perspective is political is not accurate. And I don't take that very lightly.”
But he said he has to weigh the opinions of people who want him to leave with those who “are extremely mad when an elected mayor steps aside over an accusation.”
He also said council accomplished a lot Tuesday, including removing the road right-of-way from Bert Flinn Park and resolving an issue with School District 43 over fees for acquiring school land. Vagramov maintains his vote is needed on council to avoid 3-3 ties that end in defeat.
More issues are coming, he said, including revisiting the official community plan.
He also criticized people — and media, including The Tri-City News — who he said are inflaming emotions.
“There are many perspectives to this. And I just, I wish that the coverage around this was focused less on the drama of it.
"I understand that there's an incentive to get clicks and to get views on this. But this is not easy for anybody.
"And, frankly, I believe, Diana [Dilworth] when she says it's not easy for her. [But] I disagree vehemently with the way that she's handled this. I think that she's probably done more harm than good in this situation. But I acknowledge that it's probably very difficult for her as well.
"And so I think that the gentleman, I believe his name was Eric, who came to the meeting on Tuesday, who was praying for peace and trying to get people to talk to each other and understand that you know, maybe instead of pooh poohing your opponent or your perceived opponent. Maybe there's a conversation that needs to happen here.”
Back at the legislature, however, Stone, who is a Liberal MLA and brought the issue up at the house, said Vagramov should step down until his court case is dealt with because the public has high expectations from their elected officials.
According to the Hansard transcript of the discussion, Stone asked if Robinson supports Port Moody council's decision calling for the mayor to step aside while dealing with his sexual assault charge, suggesting she might be protecting the ”member for Port Moody–Coquitlam from being embarrassed by the alleged actions of his good friend and ally?”
Later in an interview, Stone said he was referring to Port Moody MLA Rick Glumac, who he says has not stated publicly his opinion as to whether the mayor should stay in his job while facing a legal issue.
(Glumac initially endorsed Vagramov for mayor last year, then withdrew his endorsement when a video surfaced of Vagramov getting a homeless man to shotgun a beer in exchange for a sandwich. Glumac later appeared in a smiling photo congratulating Vagramov on his election win.)
Stone said he was pleased with Robinson’s response and when asked if he wasn’t making the issue even more political by bringing it up in the legislature, the former cabinet minister said he wasn't.
“The public expectation is that elected officials, in this case the mayor of Port Moody, should step aside until he faces these charges. This isn’t a Liberal or an NDP matter. [It’s about] how public officials should conduct themselves.”
