Tonight City Hall stands divided - and it's 6 councillors against 4 plus the mayor. They are locked in a bitter dispute over who should be the new city Administrator.
Now, you might say that's water long under the bridge since the council announced yesterday that former councillor Albert Vaughan had been appointed to the post.
Well, 6 dissenting councillors, led by Deputy Mayor Allan Pollard yesterday wrote to the mayor saying Vaughan's appointment is unlawful and called for an urgent meeting of the council caucus. We are reliably told they are shopping for legal opinions and seeking an injunction to block his appointment. That would mean - essentially - that they are suing their own council - not a good look politically.
One man who seems quite unfazed by it is Albert Vaughan. We found him today, comfortably ensconced in the city Administrator's office. Here's what he told Jules Vasquez about a majority of the council disapproving his appointment:
Jules Vasquez
"Six of the councillors - a majority say that you should not have been appointed, there is talk that they want to go to court, they want to get an injunction. How is all this noise affecting you? Are you concerned about the permanence of your post?"
Albert Vaughan, City Administrator
"This morning I understand that you graced me at the market. That's what I do, I work. You said it before, these are politicians, I am not a politician any longer, I am a servant for the council now. I don't have time to deal with that, Jules. I respect all my councillors. I think they are great people."
"On the 6th of June when I went to my polling area to get them elected, I believe in every one of them. They are good people. Difference of opinion doesn't mean anything to me, that doesn't shake me and I thank you for showing me at the market this morning. That's what I do, I come here, I work. That's what I represent. I serve, I work."
Jules Vasquez
"It's hard not to take these things personally though."
Albert Vaughan, City Administrator
"Oh no, that would be the last. You know me. I say some bad things about you, Jules, but it is not personal, not personal at all. Nope, I don't take things personal. Don't fail me. Give me an opportunity to fail. Don't do that to me. My legacy is the council legacy. The council has a mandate from the people from the 6th March, stay on track. My job is to ensure that at the end of this term for the council if I am here and the council allow me to be here, they will be on track, Jules. We will deliver streets, drains, infrastructure - and that is what people wants you know. They don't have time to hear politicians quarrelling. People wants to work."
And work is what Vaughan says he will deliver on. But the cagey old political operator now has to wear a different hat - a much shorter one since he's now just a contract worker, no longer a man with a political mandate:
Albert Vaughan, City Administrator
"One of the things I take advantage of is that I am no stranger to city hall. I practically know all our directors, all our managers, our staff. And so the process that I'm going through now is just to familiarize myself with the work of the CA."
"And that has been going very well. The reception has been very warm from the senior staff and from the office of the mayor. Changes will come through the political and through the executive side of the council."
"I know where the line is drawn and I understand where the line is drawn. I am familiar with the city council act and so I don't find that difficult at all to know where that line is drawn.
"I am a person who is inclusive. I am not a movie star that I will jump out and say I'm the city administrator. And so we are going to do it this way or we're going to do it that way. We are going to do it from the directive of the executive. And to make sure that we are accountable. That's my role here."
Jules Vasquez
"How do you, are you able to switch to go from being one of the bosses, the popularly elected leaders of this council, to a follower, to an employee? Are you able to rein in your ego that a politician always has and say, you know what I'm just a cog in a machine right now."
Albert Vaughan, City Administrator
"Conuncillors are not boss. Councillors are servant of the people. Politicians are servant of the people. And so I have never received myself here at the council as a boss. I come here to serve the people and that's what I do. In this capacity of serving the council for the people, that is not hard. I look forward to work with every one of my councilors."
"And so as the city administrator and as using your word that I am no longer the boss, I understand that quite well. I know my place and where the line is drawn."
Jules Vasquez
"Some people have said that you are not qualified to hold this post. You are not someone who has trained in finance or human resource management or administration. You are a BDF band man. You are somebody who is schooled in how politics works. You're a political operator, but you are not a business manager and that's what the council needs."
Albert Vaughan, City Administrator
"Yes, and people will have opinion. That doesn't bother me. They say worst. You should hear what they say. No, I'm not afraid of challenges. One thing I recognize myself, I'm not a square peg. I fit in any hole, Jules. You try me. You look at my truck record. You look anywhere that I work. Whether it be in the classroom, whether it be in boardroom, you watch how I operate. So, yeah, that's their opinion."
"I think I am qualified, the mayor think I am qualified, the committee that selected me think I am qualified, who am I to fight against them Jules?"
| 