Councillor Wilson voted off committee

Councillor Ewan Wilson was voted out of Hamilton City Council’s Statutory Management Committee today due to concerns regarding his handling of an alcohol licensing application.

Wilson, who was accused of sending a personal email to a licensing applicant in which he outlined his disagreement with fellow SMC members and thus interfering with the appeals process, has been accused of breaching code of conduct regulations.

While deliberations were heated, Councillor John Gower, who put forward the motion to remove Wilson, wished to stress that the issue was not a popularity contest.

“This is not about personalities. This is about council selecting a new Statutory Management Committee which is based on integrity.”

Councillor Dave Macpherson disagreed with the motion, however, saying that there had been a certain amount of “pussy footing” around the issue of getting Wilson off the committee.

“Councillor Wilson is one of the most contentious and annoying councillors here, but there are other ways of disciplining someone. We have enough problems already without adding the angst of sacking someone from a committee.”

Councilors voted eight to four in favour of the motion and Wilson, who has spent eight years on the SMC, was sacked from the committee.