The Editor,
An affirmative decision to have a byelection for the council positions vacated by councillors Linda Reimer and Selina Robinson should be as simple and as defensible as the decision made a few years ago to increase the size of council from seven to nine members.
I recall that it was deemed essential by the council of the day to have two more members so that the workload would be lessened for any one councillor and that the people of the city would be better served.
Assuming that those arguments were valid then, it is unreasonable for anyone on council at this time to believe that reducing the size of council from nine to seven members would not increase the workload and would not lessen the level of political service for the people.
Therefore the question on the minds of Coquitlam councillors should be whether or not to have nine members on council.If they think that council can function effectively with seven members until the next election they should agree that its size should be reduced to seven for the foreseeable future.
Considering that we have lost two of the hardest working members on council, I suggest that they get on with the byelection without delay.
Helen Brown
Coquitlam
