Prescott Mayor Gauri Shankar says he’s disappointed that an outgoing long-time town councillor posted a video on social media criticizing the mayor and council.
Lee McConnell, who is not running in the October election after 16 years as a councillor, says on a Facebook video he never experienced a council that had so little to do with the running the town.
He takes direct aim at Shankar, saying he failed miserably at both making a team out of council and supervising town staff.
Mcconnell says that if he was looking for a mayor who is good at cutting ribbons, giving out awards and making the odd speech he would vote for Shankar ten out of ten times but he says there’s a lot more to it then that.
He says that Prescott needs a mayor who is going to step up and take charge and involve council in decision making.
Mcconnell says that four senior town staff members left to go elsewhere during the current term of council, including at least one for less pay, and he says Shankar needed to do a better job of getting to the bottom of why that was happening.
Shankar tells the Vista Radio Newsroom that those staff members left to join other municipalities.
“That happens in all municipalities, there’s 13 in Leeds and Grenville. There’s always opportunities. I don’t begrudge any of the staff for leaving. Some of them went for promotions, some of them went to work with friends.”
Shankar adds that he wasn’t able to meet with Mcconnell following the video as the outgoing councillor is currently away but he says he wishes him well in the future.
