WILKIE —The Ministry of Government Relations has appointed three individuals to make up a quorum for the council of the RM of Reford, which lost most of its members by resignation in a recent meeting.
In a statement provided to the Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald and SASKTODAY.ca, the ministry says it has also set a by-election date of Aug. 30.
The ministry’s statement said, “When a municipality experiences a loss of quorum due to resignations, section 14 of The Local Government Election Act, 2015 and section 97 of The Municipalities Act authorizes the Minister to issue an order to appoint one or more persons to act as members of council and hold office until the vacancies are filled at an election.”
A Minister’s Order has been issued effective June 19, appointing the following individuals to act as council to restore quorum:
Peter Volk of Tramping Lake, as Reeve; and
Kim Gartner of Macklin and Alex Majewski of Wilkie, as councillors at large to represent Divisions 1, 2, 4 and 6.
The Minister’s Order also sets the by-election date as Wednesday, Aug, 30. This by-election will be to fill the vacant positions, being reeve, and councillors for Divisions 1, 2, 4, and 6.
The Minister’s Order also appoints Don McCallum of Cut Knife to be Returning Officer for the by-election.”
The appointments and by-election come as a result of a mass resignation at a June 8 RM of Reford meeting, when, after an in-camera session dealing with harassment claims and human resource issues, meeting ended early when almost everyone resigned, including two staff.
The meeting followed two months of the distribution of a newsletter, edited by an unknown person, called the RefordGate Gazette, which, naming names, called out council members’ alleged actions, as well as staff, on issues described as “horse trading” and “monkey business.”
As earlier reporting on SASKTODAY.ca, indicated, the June 8 meeting of the RM of Reford No. 379 ended dramatically when Reeve Gerald Gerlinsky tendered his resignation, effective immediately. That resignation was quickly followed by councillor Evan Johnson resigning. Quentin Sittler tendered the resignation of Nathan Keller, who was absent, and then also resigned himself.
Acting administrator Curt Kowalchuk asked if anyone else was resigning, and Deputy Reeve Greg Sutherland asked for a minute to write out his resignation, did so and left the council chambers, as had all others who resigned.
With only Lyle Ulsifer and Daryl Glackin remaining, quorum was lost.
An earlier in-camera session saw resignations tendered by Kowalchuk and by assistant administrator Wanda Laturnus, both effective June 29.
