Council unity fell apart two weeks after last election

John Rowswell's vision for teamwork, the main pillar of the Five Point Plan for Success he used to win the mayoralty in 2000, collapsed into disunity just 17 days after the election, according to private communications obtained by SooToday.com.

The documents, which have been in the possession of EZ Rock radio journalist John Campbell for almost one year, show Rowswell and Ward Six Councillor Peter Vaudry at odds over Rowswell's management style even before the new Council was sworn in on December 4, 2000.

The initial disagreement arose over an organizational chart drafted by Rowswell to show the 12 councillors-elect the roles he'd assigned to each of them to implement his five-point plan.

To see the mayor's chart, please click here.

The chart shows Rowswell taking sole responsibility for the 'Team Work' part of his platform, with three councillors assigned to each of the four other points: Industrial Job Strategy, Green Plan, Infrastructure and Tourism Job Strategy.

Councillor Vaudry (shown above), was assigned to head Rowswell's Green Plan Committee, but on November 30, wrote back to indicate he was refusing the appointment.

"I was surprised to receive this in the mail without prior communication from you on this matter," Vaudry wrote.

"I do not appreciate seeing my name on an organizational chart without my permission or input. The normal process, in my experience, would have been to discuss this with Council, either individually or in a group and ask for interest in participating and an opportunity to choose the area of interest."

The following is the full text of Vaudry's letter to Rowswell:

**************************************************************** November 30, 2000

Mr. John Rowswell Mayor Elect

Dear John:

RE: Five Point Plan to Success - your letter of November 27, 2000

I was surprised to receive this in the mail without prior communication from you on this matter. I do not appreciate seeing my name on an Organizational Chart without my permission or input. The normal process, in my experience, would have been to discuss this with Council, either individually or in a group and ask for interest in participating and an opportunity to choose the area of interest.

During your election campaign you referred often to your Five Point Plan. I will need to see more detail and would appreciate your providing me with a copy before I agree to lend my support. There are already initiatives progressing in some areas and I want to be sure we are not duplicating work already in progress, or initiating studies already complete.

I am certainly willing to work in any area that will improve the economic situation, or that enhances the lives of our residents. However, I need to know the rationale, the plan, and the expected outcome of any program before I can commit. I'm sure that as an Engineer you understand this perfectly.

At this point in time your vision for Sault Ste. Marie is not known and I am therefore not sure your vision is necessarily OUR or My vision. I would certainly appreciate the opportunity, as I am sure the other members of Council would, to sit and discuss this with you.

Unfortunately, until this takes place I cannot agree to take the lead on your Green Plan.

Looking forward to a favourable response.

Sincerely

Peter Vaudry, Councillor Ward 6

cc: All Councillors

**************************************************************** The documents described above are part of a package of private and confidential memos, E-mails and caucus minutes supplied to SooToday.com this week by Campbell, who indicated that he'd alluded to them on the air but was unable to publish them in their entirety.

After reviewing the material, SooToday.com concluded that it revealed much that was previously unknown about the events and personalities described.

We're planning to make other documents public, as time permits, over the remainder of this week.

Additional documents

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