White Rock email policy upsets resident
Citizens are waiting too long to hear back from White Rock politicians, one resident complained last week.
Wolfgang Schmitz told council April 16 he didn’t receive any response to five or six letters he emailed to his elected representatives through the city’s website over the past six months.
“Why?” Schmitz asked, noting that when he asked one councillor if a particular email had been received, he was told no.
Another email, sent to whiterockcouncil@whiterockcity.ca – which the city’s website invites people to use if they’d like to reach all of council as a group – went unanswered for 17 days, Schmitz said.
Mayor Wayne Baldwin explained that the group email is monitored by staff, who field and disseminate the hundreds of messages that come in to the person they believe is most appropriate, whether it be a particular councillor or a department head.
Schmitz disagreed with the practice, stating citizens expect that their messages are going directly to the politicians, whether sent as a group or individually.
“People are sending a message which is privileged and private and confidential,” he said.
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