FORT ASSINIBOINE — Woodlands County has a new reeve following the resignation of John Burrows, though the exact reason why remains a mystery.
Burrows, who represents Division 2 — Whitecourt West, announced he would be stepping down immediately during a special council meeting that ran for two hours on the evening of June 14.
Notably, according to the unofficial minutes of the meeting posted to the county’s website, councillors also passed a motion requiring Burrows to write a letter of apology to CAO Gordon Frank, Division 7 — Fort Assiniboine/Timeu Coun. Devin Williams and Woodlands County staff.
In his place, Division 1 — Anselmo Coun. Dave Kusch has been appointed as reeve and Division 5 — Blue Ridge Coun. Bruce Prestidge has been named deputy reeve.
Kusch will stay on as reeve until the organizational meeting in October, while Prestidge will be in his role until June 26, 2024, as per council’s deputy reeve rotation schedule.
Burrows, who was first elected to council in 2017, was elected to a one-year term as reeve back in October.
Again, it is not clear what occurred prior to the special council meeting that prompted this change in the municipality’s leadership.
The Barrhead Leader reached out to Woodlands County legislative services and communications co-ordinator Koren Scott if she could provide any further details or what section of the council code of conduct Burrows had contravened.
Scott replied in an e-mail that because the bulk of the special meeting was held in closed session, the details discussed cannot be disclosed in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Privacy (FOIP) Act.
“The motions as carried by council are the only details available,” she said.
The Leader also reached out to Kusch, but he indicated that he couldn’t comment on the details.
Kusch indicated he had been elected as reeve because he was deputy reeve at the time
“A few of the other councillors actually put forward the suggestion of me moving ahead (in the rotation),” Kusch said.
"It’s not 100 per cent where I expected to be in my term as a councillor … but it was the will of council. And we’ve worked together so well up until this point, I figured they probably know what they’re talking about.”
.jpg;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
