School trustee holds district hostage to tune of $100,000 over colleague's marijuana conviction
Local perspective: http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/story.html?id=00024926-e134-4654-81e3-17e5097d349c
Donna Allen, elected as a Nanaimo-Ladysmith school trustee in the Nov. 19 civic election, has written a letter saying she will refuse to be sworn in as a trustee unless the province changes the rules so all school board candidates undergo criminal record checks.
If Allen is not sworn is as a trustee by Jan. 5, B.C.'s School Act says the office to which she was elected to will be deemed to be vacant and a by-election would need to be held following that time.
A by-election for a single trustee is forecast to cost the district approximately $100,000, $30,000 more than the trustee elections Nov. 19 because on that date, the costs were shared with municipal partners, said school district spokeswoman Donna Reimer.
In an e-mail to the Daily News, Reimer said that if there was a by-election, "there would be no opportunity to cost share."
Reportedly, Allen's concerns stem from the election of Bill Bard as a trustee. In 2006, Bard was found guilty of the production of a controlled substance - marijuana - for the purpose of trafficking. He was sentenced to a one-year conditional sentence.
"This was all on the record and I didn't try to hide anything," Bard said. Police found three kilograms of pot when they searched Bard's home.
Allen, unavailable for comment Sunday, is on the record as saying she wants legislation to require all candidates to undergo criminal record checks. Trustee-elect Bill Robinson said he's saddened by the entire saga."One hundred thousand dollars for a by-election is more than a teacher for this school district. "I appreciate what Donna is trying to do. I also believe candidates should have a criminal record check. "However, I also believe that Bill (Bard) will be a very capable trustee."
I live here and couldn't be more appalled. This is the most immature and poorly thought out behaviour I've seen all month and I have seen some very immature and poorly thought out decisions lately. Allen and her husband both ran as school trustees. She was elected, he was not and the first thing she did more or less was threaten to resign if she didn't get her way.
This got picked up at the Huffington Post! http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/12/05/grow-op-bc-bill-bard-donna-allen_n_1130859.html?ref=canada-politics
Donna Allen, elected as a Nanaimo-Ladysmith school trustee in the Nov. 19 civic election, has written a letter saying she will refuse to be sworn in as a trustee unless the province changes the rules so all school board candidates undergo criminal record checks.
If Allen is not sworn is as a trustee by Jan. 5, B.C.'s School Act says the office to which she was elected to will be deemed to be vacant and a by-election would need to be held following that time.
A by-election for a single trustee is forecast to cost the district approximately $100,000, $30,000 more than the trustee elections Nov. 19 because on that date, the costs were shared with municipal partners, said school district spokeswoman Donna Reimer.
In an e-mail to the Daily News, Reimer said that if there was a by-election, "there would be no opportunity to cost share."
Reportedly, Allen's concerns stem from the election of Bill Bard as a trustee. In 2006, Bard was found guilty of the production of a controlled substance - marijuana - for the purpose of trafficking. He was sentenced to a one-year conditional sentence.
"This was all on the record and I didn't try to hide anything," Bard said. Police found three kilograms of pot when they searched Bard's home.
Allen, unavailable for comment Sunday, is on the record as saying she wants legislation to require all candidates to undergo criminal record checks. Trustee-elect Bill Robinson said he's saddened by the entire saga."One hundred thousand dollars for a by-election is more than a teacher for this school district. "I appreciate what Donna is trying to do. I also believe candidates should have a criminal record check. "However, I also believe that Bill (Bard) will be a very capable trustee."
I live here and couldn't be more appalled. This is the most immature and poorly thought out behaviour I've seen all month and I have seen some very immature and poorly thought out decisions lately. Allen and her husband both ran as school trustees. She was elected, he was not and the first thing she did more or less was threaten to resign if she didn't get her way.
This got picked up at the Huffington Post! http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/12/05/grow-op-bc-bill-bard-donna-allen_n_1130859.html?ref=canada-politics