Time to talk

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As readers will note this week, there has been some confusion in Council about a number of issues and Mayor Nash has been somewhat under attack for his role in a meeting held with the Times a few weeks ago. I feel, as Editor of the Times and one of the participants in that meeting, I should clarify some things.

First of all, this was not a press conference, as some members of Council have suggested. The only media present were myself and our Merrickville-Wolford reporter, Hilary Thomson. I had asked for a meeting with the Mayor and Karl Feige, Chair of the Chamber of Commerce, in order to discuss the on-going issues which seem to surround the relationship between Merrickville-Wolford and the Chamber. The Times has had similar meetings in the past, for example with Mayor Nash and CAO John Regan, the aim of which was to learn about matters relative to the municipality. This is a normal part of the media’s role in the community.

This, I repeat, was my initiative, not that of Mayor Nash, and there was no need for anyone to ask permission of Council before having that discussion. I cannot imagine that any member of Council believes they would have to ask permission of their colleagues before being interviewed on any topic.

Mayor Nash has pointed out that any suggestion that he apologised for attending the meeting is incorrect, and I must add that his stated aim, expressed at that meeting, was to bring Council together with the Chamber so as to hear the views of the local business community, as represented by the Chamber. I appreciate both Mayor Nash and Mr. Feige’s willingness to talk to the Times so that we could inform the community of this important issue.

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