Dysfunctional N.B. municipality gets 3rd government-appointed overseer in 6 months

The municipality of Lakeland Ridges in western New Brunswick is getting its third government-appointed supervisor in six months.

On Friday, the Department of Environment and Local Government announced that Stephen Manuel had been appointed supervisor of the municipality. No reason was given.

Manuel takes over from the previous supervisor Greg Lutes, who took over from the original supervisor Michael Blaney, who was appointed last summer following long-standing divisions within the new municipal council.

And the sides continue to be divided about the new appointment.

The mayor who resigned last month is praising Manuel's appointment, while one of the suspended councillors calls it a "major step backwards."

Randy Stairs said officials were sorting things out and learning to get along before Friday's announcement.

Government reform created new municipal entities across the province, including combining Canterbury, seen here, with Meductic, to form Lakeland Ridges, which now has its third government-appointed supervisor in six months. (Shane Fowler/CBC)

"We were probably seven-tenths of the way there," said Randy Stairs.

"We've been communicating with staff. We've let bygones be bygones. The only people that are irate about this are the people that have stepped down."

He said they've made "large strides" with the training and mediation they've had.

"We've set things aside, we've put it behind us, and then to have this happen, this is just a major, major step backwards."

Stairs said having the provincial government step in to run things in a municipality isn't how democracy is supposed to work.

"The supervisor, no matter who that is and no matter what municipality that could happen in, that's not the individual that the people elected to support them."

Stairs said the people who were elected were sorting things out and getting close to a resolution, so he's not happy with the plan for another supervisor.

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Former mayor optimistic

Former mayor Tanya Cloutier, however, praised the appointment of Manuel.

"He understands the needs, he understands the people. He's been in a leadership position of a mayor and a councillor previously. So he understands those roles very well and I I do believe that he will be able to make this work."

Manuel's appointment under the Control of Municipalities Act took effect on Friday.

He will "continue to oversee the day-to-day administration of all local government affairs and takes on the role normally exercised by council. While under supervision, council members have no decision-making powers or authority," stated the government news release.

Manuel, a former mayor of Meductic, could not be reached for comment on Friday afternoon.

Long-standing divisions

Divisions have been brewing for a long time in the community brought together as Lakeland Ridges, a sprawling rural municipality of 2,600 people taking in the former villages of Meductic and Canterbury as well as several rural areas between the St. John River and the Canada-U.S. border.

The divisions became obvious not long after the first group of elected officials came together. A council meeting last June, for example, didn't go ahead because councillors couldn't agree on an agenda.

Then, two municipal office staff, chief administrative officer and clerk Susie Patterson and deputy clerk-treasurer Lana Sharpe, went out on medical leave. Another council meeting scheduled for July was cancelled because a temporary clerk still wasn't in place.

By last summer, the province appointed Blaney, a former mayor of Gagetown, as supervisor and later replaced him with Lutes, a consultant and former provincial deputy minister.

The province's Control of Municipalities Act allows the government to appoint supervisors when a municipal council "is not able to carry on the business of a council."

In November, Lutes submitted his report to the province.

Although the province has refused to release the report, it did release a two-page "transition plan" that included the hiring of mediators and an updated code of conduct.

In January, however, Cloutier said she quit because of continued infighting and division between her and several councillors.

Tanya Cloutier resigned as mayor of Lakeland Ridges in January, saying infighting had continued under the province's appointed supervisor. (Tanya Cloutier/Facebook)

She said the problems persisted, despite the supervisor's involvement and his plan for a path to reinstatement, which would have seen council meetings resume this month or next.

Cloutier said little changed during the supervisorship. She said the "harassing and bullying and blaming" continued.

"I felt like I needed to step down to stand up," she said when reached on Friday.

Cloutier said she's still sad about resigning and hopes one day to return to local government.

"I would love to do that again one day, but before that can happen, I do need to see a change," she said.