The Editor:
I see in your Aug. 25 edition that Mr. Nicholson and his co-petitioner, Mr. Taylor, were unsuccessful in suing city hall and council for failing to hold a byelection to replace a councillor who had resigned.
Nicholson, a former city councillor, and Taylor, described as an “activist,” apparently felt it was their duty to ensure the City of Coquitlam was not able to “thumb its nose at the rule of law.”
To initiate this action against the city is not done without significant cost to both parties.
Could this issue not have been resolved without costly and time-consuming litigation?
It seems quite obvious that there must be additional reasons as to why this litigation was brought forward — whether political, personal or otherwise.
I see now that the taxpayers will never know how much the legal fees cost to defend this action as the city, in its wisdom, included in its terms of retaining external legal council a clause that includes that the fees are subject to solicitor–client privilege.
Something is very wrong with this whole scenario with far too many questions being unanswered. Maybe the Freedom of Information Act can get the facts.
The taxpayers of Coquitlam have a right to know.
- Brian Slater, Coquitlam
