Regina’s city council has voted to remove Councillor Dan LeBlanc from his position on the Community and Social Impact Regina board.
Council voted 8-2 to appoint a different councillor, which is yet to be named, to be named to the board.
The vote came after Mayor Sandra Masters brought a motion to reconsider LeBlanc’s appointment to the board.
Masters, as well as other members of the council, said that reasons for LeBlanc’s removal stemmed from a lawsuit he brought forward against City Manager Niki Anderson, a ‘lack of trust’ in LeBlanc to represent the council’s voice and fear that his presence could cause disruption on the board and fears that the City Manager Niki Anderson, who would be working closely with the board, may feel intimidated or uncomfortable by LeBlanc’s presence falling the lawsuit.
Masters described LeBlanc’s actions in filing a lawsuit and posting exchanges he had with Anderson on social media as “harassment” and a violation of council’s code of ethics.
Despite many on council disagreeing with LeBlanc’s actions, multiple delegations from those working with the houselessness community all spoke in favour of keeping LeBlanc on the board and described the motion as an act of political retribution against the Ward 6 Councillor for presenting Councillor Andrew Stevens in a lawsuit brought against city manager Niki Anderson.
Community and Social Impact Regina is meant to exist autonomously from the city with a mandate to coordinate “community and social impact strategies to support the well-being, health, safety, and social inclusion of residents in Regina.”
Council will vote on who will replace Leblanc at its next meeting on February 22.
