Municipality east of Winnipeg stops allowing residents to question mayor at council meetings
Springfield mayor complains of 'thuggery' from opponents who describe him as 'autocratic'
A rural municipality east of Winnipeg has eliminated the ability for residents to question elected officials during council meetings.
The RM of Springfield's council voted 3-2 on Tuesday to eliminate a 15-minute question period from council meetings.
"I'm happy it's gone," said Springfield Mayor Patrick Therrien, who claims the "the same four or five people" were abusing the question-and-answer session over the course of the past year.
"It's never a question. It's a commentary, usually pointed and sometimes rude."
Therrien, who was elected mayor in 2022, said question period at Springfield council allowed "a minority of people" to voice repeated complaints about "a handful of issues," including a proposed silica sand processing plant, a new water treatment plant and new subdivision.
The mayor said the tenor of the sessions was often so combative, some residents became afraid to express differing opinions.
"I do not like thuggery or mobs there that stop people from making their opinions known," said Therrien, a former RCMP constable.
A spokesperson for a group of Springfield residents opposed to the mayor's policies suggested Therrien is the party abusing the powers of council.
"He's stripping power away from residents in order to be autocratic and rule as he so pleases," said Allan Akins, a spokesperson for the Springfield Taxpayers Rights Association.
"He has a certain group of people that he works with, and it certainly isn't the average residents of the municipality."
Akins said the construction of the water treatment plant and charges related to the new subdivision will add to the tax burden for Springfield property owners.
Therrien did not campaign for mayor on a promise to increase the municipal tax burden for Springfield residents, Akins said, or support a proposal by the Alberta mining company Sio Silica to process sand in the municipality.
Manitoba's NDP government declined to issue an environmental licence to Sio Silica in February.
Manitoba municipalities such as the City of Winnipeg allow members of the public to appear before councils to address elected officials, but do not permit questioning of elected officials by members of the public at council meetings.
During Winnipeg council meetings, only city councillors may question the mayor and other councillors during question periods for the respective committees chaired by those officials.