Mayor Richard Stewart is scaling back his elected duties at Coquitlam City Hall — for now.
On Monday, Jan. 27, the mayor told a resident at the end of the council meeting that he's been on medical leave and hasn’t been able to maintain a full-time schedule.
The Tri-City News reached out to Stewart for comment, but received a statement.
In it, he wrote his partial leave-of-absence is for health reasons and he is following medical advice to cut his work load from 80 to 90 hours a week to 40 to 45 hours.
Still, his absence isn’t a formal leave as described in the provincial Community Charter.
“I continue to fulfil my duties as mayor and have been present and actively engaged in most city hall matters, including attending all but one of the council meetings over the past four months,” Stewart wrote. “I am managing my health with the goal of returning to the full schedule that I had previously maintained.”
He added in the statement, emailed on Thursday, Jan. 30, “I value and appreciate the assistance and understanding of my council colleagues during this period.”
Coun. Brent Asmundson said the mayor’s partial leave has had “no real impact” on civic matters as he’s only missed a couple of committee and council meetings; committee meetings have a rotating chairperson while council meetings can be handled by the acting mayor for the month, he said.
Asmundson said councillors haven’t taken on any extra work as a result of the mayor’s absence. “It’s not impacted me.”
Coun. Matt Djonlic echoed his remarks, saying he appreciates Stewart has taken a step back for personal reasons and “we’re lucky to have folks that could step in.”
He confirmed Stewart has been at most meetings and events, and has contributed.
Stewart, who in 2023 made $196,442 as Coquitlam’s mayor, left his roles on the Metro Vancouver Regional District and TransLink boards that year and was replaced by Coun. Teri Towner and Coun. Asmundson, respectively.
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