Town of Bonnyville Mayor Ernie Isley has raised concerns that his personal political affiliations could be harming the ratepayers of Bonnyville.
In her closing remarks at a special meeting on June 27, hosted by the Town of Bonnyville, Genia Leskiw, MLA for Bonnyville – Cold Lake, said, “It would be nice if the council would on a regular basis communicate with me, and many times not be so antagonistic when they're talking to me. It's a lot easier to work with people when you're working together instead of working against one another. Many times, my conversations with the Town have been very antagonistic, therefore, it makes it very hard to deal with them or to speak with them.”
She added, “Phone calls and things like that, it would help if they were a little bit more on the friendlier tone instead of the big brother talking down to little sister tone. It's called playing nicely in the sand.”
Her comments followed an extensive debate on the future of the tax reassessment being carried out on the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. Isley said when he had last spoken with Leskiw about the issue, she supported any funds coming south from the reassessment going to Cold Lake, and was concerned she still did.
Isley was a MLA of the Progressive Conservative Party for years, holding various cabinet positions. In 2009, he left the Conservatives and became a member of the Wildrose Alliance.
During the June 28 Town council meeting, Coun. Gene Sobolewski brought up Leskiw's closing comments, saying, “She alluded to the deterioration between the relationship of the Town of Bonnyville and the MLA herself, which, I don't know where that's coming from, that's the first I've heard of it.”
Isley informed council he believed her comments were directed at him and the result of his switching provincial political parties.
Coun. Lorna Storoschuk said, “I think they need to look beyond your position possibly, and see Bonnyville, a community, as a whole, to be fair.”
After the meeting, Isley explained, “I left the Conservative Party and joined the Wildrose and that's made some of my former colleagues a little unhappy.”
When asked if Isley's extracurricular political affiliations had anything to do with her remarks after the joint meeting, Leskiw said, “It doesn't matter to me what party he may choose or choose not to belong, that's one issue. But we are the government in hand, if you're going to work with the government, you've got to play nicely in the sandbox. That hasn't always occurred.”
She added, “I work very well with the MD of Bonnyville, I work very well with the City of Cold Lake. It's not always been that cordial with the Town of Bonnyville.”
Isley said at the council meeting, “I said at one point in time I would stay mayor of this town unless my extracurricular political activities started to hurt the ratepayers of this town. I may have some serious thinking to do.”
After the meeting, he added, “I haven't reached any decisions, but at times I get the feeling that Bonnyville concerns are not being responded to the way they used to be when I was the same colour as everybody.”
