Northumberland County Warden and Mayor of Cramahe Mandy Martin - Photo by Lee McConnell
There was a bit of a disagreement on holidays at Northumberland County Council on January 25.
It all stemmed from discussion on whether to give county employees the day off for Truth and Reconciliation Day in lieu of it not being named a federal holiday.
Councillor Lucas Cleveland, supported by several other members, made the argument that giving the day off doesn’t help advance truth and reconciliation, and instead that money should be used to support real initiatives toward the cause.
Warden Mandy Martin strongly disagreed, saying that it’s nickel and diming an important issue that ought to be recognized, while Councillor Bob Crate said he was “disgusted” that council would support the motion.
Council eventually voted to halve the amount proposed for the day from $52,000 to $25,000 for staff training for Truth and Reconciliation initiatives.
Crate noted that the cut in the budget for training wouldn’t go very far given the number of people Northumberland County employs.
Written by Lee McConnell
