Another resignation hits Fundy Albert municipal council
Less than month after mayor quit, Deputy Mayor John Ereaux says he's leaving, too
The southeastern New Brunswick municipality of Fundy Albert is dealing with yet another resignation, this time of its deputy mayor.
It comes less than four weeks after Bob Rochon resigned as mayor.
John Ereaux, who had taken on mayoral responsibilities after Rochon left, submitted his resignation effective Jan. 25, citing personal reasons. He's also resigned his seat as councillor for Ward 1.
Ereaux did not respond to a request for an interview about his resignation.
When Rochon resigned, his letter said he no longer had "the confidence and trust of members of council," and described the time since New Brunswick's local government amalgamation in 2023 as "turbulent."
Under former Premier Blaine Higgs, many municipalities in New Brunswick were forced to amalgamate, cutting the number of local entities from 340 to 90.
Rochon said the province "did little" to assist with challenges such as how to structure local government, managing complex budgets, addressing infrastructure gaps and planning for the future.
He was previously the mayor of Hillsborough before amalgamation, which also absorbed Riverside-Albert and Alma to create the new municipality.
This is not the only New Brunswick municipality to experience difficulties after amalgamation.
Lakeland Ridges, which combined the former villages of Meductic and Canterbury, as well as several local service districts and Skiff Lake, was at one point put under provincial supervision.
Heather Ward Russell, who also represents Ward 6, has taken over as deputy mayor.
Ward Russell said she was approached by council on multiple occasions about stepping into the role.
"My exact answer to them was that if we continued to be united as a team, then by all means that I would take this leadership role," she said.
She acknowledges that Fundy Albert has faced a number of challenges over the past two years, including administrative challenges and absent leadership.
"There has been a lot of bumps in the road, but my goal right now would be to keep the bumps limited and let them not become potholes," she said.
She said she'd like to improve the level of communication between staff and council, and between council and the public.
"In order to know of the situation and how to fix it, you need to be aware and the ongoing communication needs to get better," she said.
Since the amalgamation, the municipality has faced the challenge of competing priorities.
"Every community deserves to be treated fairly, everybody is paying taxes," said Ward Russell. "Everybody deserves to make sure the services are being given to them in a timely matter, in a productive manner."
Local resident Jane Chrysostom, who attends meetings frequently, has noticed the tensions on council over the past two years.
"It's such a large geographical area that it's been evident that it's been hard for council," she said.
"They've had difficulty dealing with their self-admitted regionalism and that 'them versus us' of shared services and resources since amalgamation."
Ward Russell said she's confident that the remaining members of council will put forward a united front when making decisions.
"It's OK to hit the reset button, and I truly hope that we can and start fresh" she said.
The community will have a byelection April 15 to elect a new mayor.