Bud Massey will remain as Westlock County reeve.
Following an in-camera session at council’s June 14 meeting, a vote to have Massey removed as reeve was defeated 4-3.
In a recorded vote, councillors Dennis Primeau, Ray Marquette and Don Savage supported his removal, while Massey, along with councillors Ron Zadunayski, Albert St. Louis and Mel Kroetch voted against.
Primeau said it was his motion to call for Massey’s removal for his alleged involvement in the Horizon North lease deal that left the county on the hook for over $200,000 worth of site improvements.
“He’s obviously intricately involved with Peter Kelly. The information came forward pointing the finger at Peter Kelly, that’s factual,” said Primeau.
“It happened on his watch and he’s responsible as well.”
Massey said he didn’t have any more involvement in the deal than any of the other councillors, although text messages recovered from former Kelly during an investigation into the deal suggests more involvement.
“I had the knowledge that the rest of council had. I never met with Horizon North, never had conversation with them, I wasn’t involved in any meetings with them,” Massey said.
“I met the manager one time, briefly, to shake hands and be introduced.”
Primeau said it was “terribly disappointing” that the motion didn’t pass.
“We have some kind of a responsibility to our community to provide good government and this is not it,” he said.
The reeve said he wasn’t necessarily surprised at Primeau’s motion, given the long-standing division on council.
“We operate in a democracy. When we had our organizational meeting the last time, I wasn’t the unanimous choice and the voting lines were the same as they were last October,” he said.
“We do not have a council that totally agrees on all issues and part of democracy is you make choices. An individual thought it would be good to have a vote to have me removed as the reeve and it wasn’t successful.”
Massey suggested that he might step aside as reeve in October when council holds its next organizational meeting.
“I’ve already made a decision about what I’m going to do in October, but I’m going to wait until it’s close before I voice that decision,” he said.
In the meantime, he said council would continue to serve the interests of county ratepayers.
“I can assure them that the business of the county will move forward, I can assure them that democracy will work,” Massey said.
“There is dissension within our council chambers. When you have physical altercations, that’s a fine example that the system is not working perfectly.
“We don’t have a split on our council that says there are four people for and three people against all the time.
“You sit there and see quite often the vote is 7-0. When we agree, we agree and when we disagree — we sometimes have different philosophies — we disagree and the majority vote wins.”
