Mayor-elect will remain as constituency assistant
Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (Nov 03/00) - Tom Wilson does not think the interests of residents would be compromised if he remains MLA Jim Antoine's constituency assistant while mayor of Fort Simpson.
"In my own mind I don't see any conflict," said Wilson, after Antoine's constituency meeting in Simpson last Thursday.
During the meeting, Antoine was asked by resident Rita Cazon if it was in the public's best interest for Wilson to do both jobs.
Antoine said Wilson does not officially become mayor until Nov. 6 so there would be time to work out an arrangement, if needed.
Wilson added he would be more concerned about the issue if he saw a lengthy petition of concerned citizens.
"I'm just kind of putting that (issue) on the back burner to see if it ever materializes. I've got a whole lot of other problems to worry about besides that one."
Wilson said the message that the previous mayor and council had been getting from the GNWT is that they want to work with communities.
He said MACA officials have been very positive in his encounters with them since he's been elected, but proposed funding cuts will still have to be sorted out, he said.
"Nothing ever goes smoothly all the time, but it's how you approach a problem," he said. "I've always been able to attract more flies with honey than with a fly swatter ... we're trying to foster good relationships."
Rita Cli, chief of the Liidlii Kue First Nation, said if Antoine was still minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, there may be a conflict with Wilson as constituency assistant. She added she would also consider the issue to be significant if the mayor's position was a paid, full-time job. But neither is the case.
"I'm quite comfortable with it," she said. "I think Tom, if there's a concern, I think he would definitely get First Nation's opinion before he pursues anything. That wasn't happening in the past."
George Roach, the former president of the NWT Association of Municipalities, said Wilson sat on the association's board of directors while serving as Antoine's constituency assistant, while Antoine was minister of MACA.
"That was one of the issues that we checked out and we came to a decision that it was OK, that Tom could keep the two separate," Roach said from Inuvik.
