News Release For Immediate Release
June 7, 2000
Statement by Walter R. Fitzgerald, Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality re: an article entitled "Critics Want Cleanup Boss to Withdraw," which was published today in The Chronicle-Herald.
As Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality, I am both disappointed and concerned with the tone and content of an article entitled "Critics Want Cleanup Boss to Withdraw" which was published in today's edition of The Chronicle-Herald.
It is one thing to have differing opinions on an issue and it is every Councillor's right and responsibility to ask questions to ensure the interests of the public are being adequately protected. For elected officials to attack the integrity and reputation of a staff member to win public favour and support for their cause is reprehensible and unacceptable.
Maurice Lloyd, P.Eng., FCIP, Project Manager for the Harbour Solutions Project, is a citizen of this community whose reputation as a planner and an engineer-in both the public and private sectors- is above reproach.
To those of us who know him personally, Mr. Lloyd is an honest, straight-forward, competent individual who has earned a reputation as one of the finest professionals in this community. In fact, he was honoured recently by his colleagues across the country when he was named a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners-- the first and only Nova Scotian to receive such honours.
Unfortunately, Councillors Hetherington, Kelly and Russell Walker chose to raise this entire issue publicly last week when Chief Administrative Officer Ken Meech and I were out-of-province attending municipal government conferences.
I met with Mr. Meech this morning and we have consulted the Municipal Solicitor, Wayne Anstey, who is satisfied that Mr. Lloyd is not in a conflict of interest position as a member of the selection team.
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Mayor Walter Fitzgerald
(902) 490-4010
