The appointment of the newest London Police Services Board member stalled at council Tuesday as members criticized the process for filling vacancies on boards and committees.
Rather than vote to appoint Ryan Gauss to fill the vacant seat, councillors voted 13-2 on a motion by Mayor Josh Morgan to refer the matter back to the strategic priorities and policy committee (SPPC) so the top candidates can be interviewed.
The issue over Gauss’s appointment began soon after the SPPC selected him over 53 other applicants on March 28. The following day, former chair of the police board Susan Toth – who resigned in January, causing the seat to become vacant – criticized councillors for sticking with the “status quo” and not selecting someone equally qualified who would have brought a more diverse background.
The criticism continued to mount, with six former LPSB members penning a letter with Toth Sunday night calling on council to reconsider the appointment.
More than a dozen people could be seen in the gallery Tuesday during council’s meeting holding signs and wearing shirts calling for council to select someone with a diverse background.
Speaking virtually due to a commitment on the housing and homelessness file in Toronto, Morgan expressed his belief the current system for appointing people to committees like the LPSB is flawed and does not allow for greater examination of the top applicants.
“It is not leading to results that all members of council are supportive of,” said Morgan.
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“When you think about it, we have only expressed to each other our opinions on three candidates with votes, yet many of us ranked eight, nine, 10 candidates through the process.”
Acknowledging he has been listening to the discussion in the community around the tentative appointment concerning diversity and merit, Morgan says he also believes it is important for council to come to a broader consensus at such a critical time for the board.
The police services board is currently in the middle of hiring a chief and deputy chief of police.
Global News reached out to Gauss for a statement on council’s decision. Gauss declined to comment, stating he prefers to wait to provide remarks Wednesday on 980 CFPL’s The Morning Show with Devon Peacock.
Along with Morgan, many other councillors, including Peter Cuddy, Hadleigh McAlister and Skylar Franke, who seconded the motion, said the appointment process needs to be revised.
“I think that a lot of candidates might shine in an in-person interview situation as opposed to just on paper, which is only one way of trying to get to know someone,” said Franke.
Deputy mayor Shawn Lewis, who was in the chair position for the council meeting, said he plans to work on introducing language to the governing committee to permanently resolve issues regarding appointments, but says in collaboration with Coun. Sam Trosow, the current LPSB seat is too important to wait the months it would take to set new rules.
Trosow also introduced an amendment to the motion that ensures the filling of the seat is done through the lens of the reconciliation, equity, accessibility and inclusion strategic area of focus in the upcoming strategic plan and the municipal aspects of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.
The amendment by Trosow was accepted 14-1, with Coun. Paul Van Meerbergen the lone no.
The discussion at council proved lively, with all but two members taking the opportunity to speak and most voicing their support for the motion.
Coun. Jerry Pribil said he spoke with the top two candidates – Gauss and Joseph Wabegijig – for an hour each and believes interviewing top applicants is the best way to go.
The two members that rejected the motion – Van Meerbergen and Elizabeth Peloza – voted no for different reasons.
Ward 10 Coun. Van Meerbergen expressed his disappointment in councillors wishing to continue the discussion, adding it is inferring members did not do their jobs at the SPPC meeting.
Peloza, for her part, said while she appreciates the intent behind the motion, she does not want to put minority communities in London through more pain. The Ward 11 councillor asked that if councillors do not intend to change their vote on the appointee, they vote against the motion.
“If this is more virtue signalling versus work to actually be done in hearing unbiased opportunity … if you’re not open to actually having that changed vote and an impact, then vote accordingly,” said Peloza.
In the end, the motion carried, with it returning to SPPC later this month.
While no decision was made on how councillors will determine the top five applicants, Lewis suggested a ranked ballot where councillors can select up to five applicants. Once the top five are determined, the interviews will be conducted by the members of the SPPC, which include all councillors and the mayor.
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