Less than a year after floodwaters ravaged Perth-Andover, N.B., the village has a new fight on its hands - one that has councillors calling on the mayor to resign.
“What we’re trying to do is move the municipality forward and we’re trying to get to work with that business and the distractions that are taking place are not allowing us to move forward,” says Deputy Mayor Rick Beaulieu.
Beaulieu says Mayor Terry Ritchie has missed meetings and displayed inappropriate behaviour and that the village has asked the province to deal with the situation.
However, Ritchie insists he has been instrumental in securing relocation funding from the province for flood victims, as well as a new hospital and nursing home.
He says he won’t resign and instead wants the provincial government to fire council.
“They’re not going to resign. I’m not going to resign, and the minister of municipalities can step in,” says Ritchie. “I want him to dismiss them, of course, but it’s simpler to get rid of me.”
Questions about in-fighting abound on the streets of Perth-Andover, and it seems many residents are backing the embattled mayor.
“I think it’s awful. I think Terry’s done a really good job so far and I think they should let him be,” says Candice Fitzherbert.
“I think he’s good for the town. I think that he needs to be here and he says things that other people don’t want to say,” says Laurie Johnston. “He gets things done that other people don’t want to get done.”
The municipal government won’t meet again until the situation is resolved, which means town business is on hold until the dispute is settled.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Andy Campbell
