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Delta councillors remove mayor from Metro, citing 'loss of confidence'
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# A stunner in Delta: Mayor George Harvie stripped of Metro Vancouver
role by his own council
Councillors are being tight-lipped about the reasons for the surprise
move, citing only a "loss of confidence" in his ability to represent
the city's interests at the regional level
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Published May 07, 2024 • Last updated May 08, 2024 • 5 minute read
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Metro Vancouver commissioner/ CAO Jerry Dobrovolny, left, and Delta
mayor and board chairman George Harvie in 2023. Photo by Jason Payne
/PNG
## Article content
An otherwise largely routine Delta city council meeting ended with a
stunner Monday night, when councillors voted to strip Mayor George
Harvie of his role on Metro Vancouver's board and tighten controls on
his office.
Delta council's decision has regional implications: Harvie serves as
chairman of Metro's board of directors, so council rescinding his
appointment will force a change of leadership at the regional body,
which is responsible for billions of taxpayer dollars and major
decisions around infrastructure and regional planning.
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The councillors behind the surprise move cited a "loss of confidence"
in the mayor's ability to represent the city's interests at the
regional level, but are being tight-lipped for now about the reasons
for their actions.
A change of leadership at Metro is "a big deal," said Kennedy Stewart,
a professor of public policy at Simon Fraser University and former
mayor of Vancouver and Metro director.
"It's a very big job," Stewart said. "I think you have more power as
the chair of Metro for direct decisions than you do as mayor of a
municipality. The chair of Metro is really the de facto mayor of the
region."
Harvie's removal as Delta's representative to Metro was one of a
series of motions introduced by council, with no prior public notice,
at the end of its Monday evening meeting.
At the Delta council meeting Monday, Coun. Jennifer Johal introduced
seven motions that appeared to limit the power of the mayor to perform
certain actions without council approval, including organizing events,
sending official correspondence and changing meeting agendas.
There was no debate or discussion before council approved Johal's
motions, but a tense exchange followed the next item of new business,
when Coun. Daniel Boisvert proposed rescinding Harvie's appointment to
Metro.
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Harvie said he wouldn't object to council's decision to end his
appointment to Metro, but asked if they would be willing to make it
effective July 1 to facilitate a smooth transition period.
"Your actions are removing the chair of Metro Vancouver," Harvie said.
"I'm not taking exception to the council's right to change
appointments, I'm just asking for some decency insofar as respecting
Metro Vancouver's chair, there needs to be a transition period."
Coun. Dylan Kruger asked for further information about the chair's
duties and responsibilities.
Harvie replied that he has discussions planned with Metro's leadership
on a number of subjects, as well as a previously scheduled trip with
other Metro members to the Netherlands to review Amsterdam's diking
system.
"So you're asking for the opportunity to go to Amsterdam?" Kruger
asked.
Harvie answered: "I'm asking for the opportunity to join board members
in Amsterdam, that has been set for quite some time, same as you've
been travelling to Phoenix… (and) back east with regards to TransLink.
I mean, you've been travelling too."
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"I've not been to Amsterdam," Kruger replied.
Council then supported extending Harvie's appointment to July 1.
After Monday's meeting, four Delta councillors — Johal, Boisvert,
Dylan Kruger and Rod Binder — released a brief statement saying the
changes aimed to "enhance governance and representation" and reflected
"council's loss of confidence in the mayor's ability to effectively
represent the city's interests at Metro Vancouver."
Harvie formerly worked as Delta's city manager from 2002 to 2018, when
he was elected to his first term as mayor. He was re-elected in 2022,
earning 75 per cent of the mayoral vote, more than four times as many
votes as the runner-up. In that 2022 election, Harvie's Achieving for
Delta party won a clean sweep with all six council candidates elected
— including the four councillors who signed Monday's statement.
But those councillors declined to provide any information about what
led to this loss of confidence.
Asked for an explanation of the council votes, Boisvert said Monday's
statement so far was "what the group is sticking with for now."
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The change was motivated by Harvie's performance representing Delta at
the regional level, Boisvert said, and not related to his performance
as the Metro chair.
Monday's vote means Binder will replace Harvie as one of Delta's two
Metro directors, starting July 1. Kruger remains as Delta's other
Metro director.
Boisvert said: "We made the change because we felt it was in the best
interest of the City of Delta, we felt we were best represented by
those that we appointed."
Binder declined to discuss the matter Tuesday. Johal didn't
immediately reply to a request for comment. Kruger was unavailable to
speak Tuesday while at the hospital with his wife welcoming a new
baby.
Harvie didn't reply to a request for comment.
Metro's board is made up of 41 directors chosen by their respective
councils, which includes 21 municipalities, one electoral area and the
Tsawwassen First Nation. The Metro board can decide when to call a new
election for chair. If no election is held before Harvie's
directorship ends June 30, then the vice-chairman, Anmore Mayor John
McEwen, will fill the role on an interim basis until a new chair is
elected.
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In an emailed statement, McEwen said: "In the case of who City of
Delta chooses to represent them to the board, that is a discussion and
decision for the City of Delta.
"George Harvie has been an excellent chair and has shown strong
leadership through difficult decisions," McEwen said. "We look forward
to welcoming Rod Binder as a director on the Metro Vancouver board."
The Metro chair's responsibilities include acting as spokesperson for
the region, as well as determining the structure and appointments of
its standing committees and task forces. Metro directors receive a
stipend of $525 or $1,050 per meeting they attend, depending on
meeting length. The Metro chair role comes with an additional $105,039
per year, on top of whatever they earn as mayor or councillor of their
own municipality.
In a separate continuing matter involving the City of Delta, the
municipality is being sued for wrongful dismissal by a former employee
of the Delta mayor's office, Paramjit Singh Grewal.
Grewal formerly worked as Delta's general manager of economic
development and stakeholder relations, with an annual salary of
$234,000 and monthly vehicle allowance of $748, until he was
terminated "without cause and without notice," according to a notice
of claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court by Grewal's lawyer in April.
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Grewal's claim seeks damages from the city for breaching his
employment contract, and from Kruger, alleging that the councillor
defamed him with statements in a private meeting.
The claims in Grewal's lawsuit haven't been tested in court. Neither
the city nor Kruger have filed responses.
Grewal ran unsuccessfully as a Delta council candidate in 2018
alongside Harvie on the Achieving for Delta slate.
dfumano@postmedia.com
twitter.com/fumano
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