All 54 applicants to for LPS board to be considered by council

A pre-emotive motion by Mayor Josh Morgan and a pair of councillors headed off one divisive debate — but has prompted another.

Last week, city council members sitting as the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee (SPPC) selected Ryan Gauss over 53 other applicants to fill a vacant seat on the London Police Services Board (LPSB).

The choice would leave the seven-member police board with only one member from a diverse background.

Noting the mounting feedback received from the community, Morgan addressed colleagues via videoconference.

“It doesn’t do council any good, it doesn’t do the community any good, and it doesn’t do the successful candidate any good, and it certainly doesn’t do the board any good to send the member who is narrowly supported,” he said.

Instead of confirming Gauss’ appointment, the mayor’s motion proposed a political off-ramp by referring all 54 applications to an upcoming committee meeting.

At the committee, council will then choose a shortlist of five individuals for interviews.

The interviews will be conducted by council members.

Coun. Skylar Franke and Coun. Anna Hopkins co-signed the motion.

“This referral is a compromise,” explained Hopkins. “It is giving us an opportunity to start all over again.”

“I think we need to recognize the current concerns that we’ve been hearing in the community,” said Franke.

Coun. Corrine Rahman, the first South Asian person on council, expressed regret for not speaking up prior to last week’s selection of Gauss.

“But I do feel like if I had spoken up, I would’ve known how that conversation would’ve went and that’s unfortunate feeling as well,” she said.

“The conversation about diversity sometimes is a very challenging one to have in this (council) horseshoe, sitting where I sit (and) in the body that I sit in,”

The mayor’s motion was not supported by everyone.

Coun. Paul Van Meerbergen maintained that Gauss’ selection should be confirmed.

“He won, and he won fair and square,” he said. “It comes to us today and it’s laced with things like identity politics (and) racism.”

Coun. Elizabeth Peloza, who is Métis, argued that another selection is pointless if council members aren’t going to approach the process with a diversity lens.

“Unless those (councillors) here are actually willing to change their vote or be open to consideration, please just don’t do it because you’re putting hours of work before us and fake hope for a community,” she asserted.

An amendment by Coun. Sam Trosow added wording that the next selection will regard the Reconciliation, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion area of focus in the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan and the Municipal focussed Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action.

The motion was passed 13-2, Van Meerbergen and Peloza opposed.

From the gallery, a group of Indigenous people and allies were disappointed with the result.

“They need to review their processes,” explained Danalynn Williams a First Nation person from the Aamjiwnaang territory. “What took place in there was (that) they didn’t admit to the mistake they made.”

Brian Hill of N’Amerind Friendship Centre tells CTV News that despite decades of working with London, systemic barriers remain.

“The system isn’t broken,” explains Hill. “It’s working perfectly as it was designed to do by those who designed it, for those who are benefitting from it, and it’s not the Indigenous, Black, and Muslim people.”

Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis said he will request that the Governance Working Group undertakes a review of the appointment process to outside boards and commissions to address many of the concerns raised.