Erin councillor Matt Sammut will officially resign on Aug. 20, but he took the opportunity last week to air some of his frustrations about serving on council.
Mayor Alan Alls thanked Sammut during the Aug. 14 council meeting for his years of work.
“You and I haven’t always agreed, but I thought you contributed to this council and I appreciate it,” said Alls.
In a prepared statement, Sammut explained he is moving to New Brunswick in order to prioritize his family’s needs and grow his investment coaching business.
He also listed Erin council’s lack of support for change as one of the “core reasons” for his departure.
“It comes down to spending nearly four years as a councillor,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the necessary actions that I felt strongly about were never supported by the mayor or council.”
Sammut, who was first elected to council in 2014, said he ran for the seat in the hopes of using his experience as an investment planner to improve the fiscal management of the town.
“I have seen so many people move out of Erin due to escalating costs via taxes and limited services … I have helped turn companies around, and I thought I could do it for my own community,” he added.
Sammut said at the outset he advised council the town had well over $12 million in unfunded liabilities – but it has not been addressed since.
He criticized the mayor and council for decisions to “fire key community members from important committees” because they “wanted a say.”
According to Sammut, the town is suffering from a lack of vision, strategic planning, and fiscal management.
In a public statement after the meeting, the mayor said Sammut had “missed the mark” with his comments, saying they were “akin to pet peeves – devoid of offering any constructive solution, or willingness to be a part of one.”
He said criticism is always easier than constructive solutions.
“It is in the interests of the future of our town to elect a council that are willing to be collaborative, that will listen to the public,” he said.
Sammut thanked CAO Nathan Hyde and new town staff for making improvements to communication and community engagement, Sammut encouraged residents in Erin to come forward and continue to fight for changes.
“Don’t sit back and be complacent, be engaged and vocal,” he said.
He added “there must be a push for community involvement going forward – and people have to be listened to.”
