LONDON, ONT. -- Councillors slammed the brakes on a plan to immediately replace Councillor Mo Salih on the London Police Services Board (LPSB), because they only received his resignation letter on Monday.
Salih’s resignation was accepted by council, but they stopped short of appointing his replacement after several councillors expressed concern that there was insufficient time for members to consider the important appointment.
Councillor Elizabeth Peloza saying, “Really disappointed in how somebody’s name was kind of hand-picked for the board.”
In his resignation letter, Salih expressed a desire to have more women on the police board, recommending Councillor Maureen Cassidy for the appointment.
Currently, lawyer Susan Toth is the only female member of the LPSB.
But Peloza, as one of only four women on council, says she would have expected to have been told about the opportunity.
"Certainly I will support the referral to give everyone else an equal opportunity to see if they’d be able to serve in this capacity.”
Ultimately, the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee decided to wait until next week’s full council meeting to choose Salih’s replacement on the board.
Salih explained he didn’t want to violate ‘closed meeting’ rules which forbid a quorum of council committee members from discussing municipal issues outside of a public setting.
“If I spoke to every woman on this (council) as well as board members, that would have been a quorum. I had to make a decision, so I wear that, and I apologize.”
Salih’s last day as Chair of the LPSB is Jan. 16.
