Pillar Asks Council to Hit Pause Before Making LPSB Appointment

LONDON - April 4, 2023 Today's Council meeting at 1pm includes consideration of Council's appointment to the London Police Services Board (LPSB). Sitting as a committee of the whole last week, Councillors made a recommendation from the Strategic Priorities and Planning Committee that Council appoint Ryan Gauss, a staffer with MP Peter Fragiskatos and the manager of Josh Morgan's Mayoral campaign. There has been a robust community response, especially from those noting the missed opportunity to appoint a qualified Indigenous candidate in Joseph Wabegijig, executive director of Atlohsa. Noting that the municipal committee structure has the benefit of giving Councillors time to reflect before finalizing the decision, and that the response from the community has been so fulsome, Pillar is proposing that Council hit pause and seek greater community input. In a letter added to the Council agenda, Pillar's Interim CEO Maureen Cassidy proposes reconvening the Striking Committee normally charged in election years to make such recommendations. You can read our letter here and the full agenda here, including a letter from past LPSB members.