After much public debate, a Yellowknife city councillor has rescinded his request for four months away from the job.
Last week, Ryan Fequet asked his fellow councillors for permission to take four months’ unpaid leave from his role as an elected official, an unusual request that some of his colleagues said had no precedent.
Fequet had told councillors he and his family found the past year “challenging” and needed to “take a little time.”
Council decided to consider the matter for two weeks and consult residents before making a decision. In an initial discussion, the majority of councillors said they felt inclined not to grant the request, in part because they worried about the precedent that might set.
At another meeting on Monday, Fequet said he had received responses from more than 120 people, including some as far away as Calgary, Norman Wells and Dawson City, Yukon.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Fequet said there had been “overwhelming support that this question was important to ask, so I’m glad I did.”
However, since several Yellowknife councillors indicated special leave for such a duration was “not in the cards” in this case, Fequet said he would withdraw his request. He said he planned to explore other options with his family.
“The request was not intended to be an indication that I would be resigning if this request wasn’t able to be granted,” he said.
“I do apologize for anyone who understood the request to mean that I’m not committed to this role, because I and my family continue to be fully invested.”
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
While Fequet’s leave request is no longer on the table, he said the public response had indicated the wider topic of mayor and council leave requires clarity. He said, for example, the mayor currently doesn’t have paid sick leave.
“Clarity on maternity and parental leave, and compassion and care of sick parents considering how old some of us are, among other elements, would definitely support the recruitment of a diverse council team that reflects the demographics of the city,” he said.
Fequet suggested discussing the potential for a mayor and council leave policy at a council meeting in November.
