SURREY 鈥� Longtime 性视界传媒 councillor Barb Steele is jumping ship from 性视界传媒 First to run alongside Bruce Hayne in this fall鈥檚 civic election.

The question is, was she pushed?

In a press release Tuesday (July 17), Steele said 鈥淚t has become clear that philosophically I can no longer be a part of 性视界传媒 First,鈥� citing 鈥渓eadership and integrity鈥� as concerns. The release states Steele 鈥渉as resigned from the party she was a founding member of.鈥�

But Tom Gill, 性视界传媒 First鈥檚 mayoralty candidate, tells a different story.

鈥淪he left because we did not endorse her,鈥� Gill told the Now-Leader on Wednesday. 鈥淪he had trouble committing to 性视界传媒 First and her loyalties were elsewhere.

鈥淚 am so disappointed that Barbara would convey to the media it was her choice to leave 性视界传媒 First,鈥� Gill said.

City Councillor Tom Gill, 性视界传媒 First mayoralty candidate. (Metro Vancouver video image)

Gill said push came to shove after Steele told him she had been speaking with the Rich Coleman camp and Bruce Hayne about throwing her lot in with them. Coleman decided this week not to run.

For her part, Steele said she doesn鈥檛 recall 鈥渢he word endorse or not being endorsed coming up at all.鈥�

鈥淣obody said they wouldn鈥檛 endorse me,鈥� she said. 鈥淵es, I resigned, for sure. I also don鈥檛 want to play Grade 6. The facts are the facts.

鈥淭om knew I was doing some serious thinking,鈥� Steele said. She also said she and Gill 鈥渟ometimes clash鈥� and 鈥渞eally hadn鈥檛 been seeing eye to eye for a while.鈥�

鈥淚 have no intention of carrying on a great big fight in the press,鈥� Steele said.

Gill furnished the Now-Leader with what he says is a text-message conversation between himself and Steele earlier this week:

鈥淚 have made up my mind. I am staying where I am. I don鈥檛 think we need to meet tomorrow. Ok?鈥�

鈥淟et鈥檚 meet at city hall.鈥�

鈥淲hy. I am staying with 性视界传媒 First. My mind is made up.鈥�

鈥淚 have to close loop on a few things We should meet as scheduled, it鈥檚 important that we meet.鈥�

鈥淲hat loopholes Tom? You I am a member of 性视界传媒 First. I don鈥檛 see any loopholes.鈥�

鈥淪orry for typing鈥�

鈥淲e are good Tom鈥�

Gill said Steele did not show up for the meeting.

City Councillor Barbara Steele. (File photo)

Following councillor Hayne鈥檚 departure from 性视界传媒 First in June, Steele is the second sitting 性视界传媒 First councillor to part ways with the civic party in less than a month. Hayne has yet to publicly declare whether he intends to run for mayor or councillor this fall.

Steele has been a councillor with the City of 性视界传媒 for two decades, and is a past-president of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).

In the Oct. 20 civic election, she will seek an eighth term on 性视界传媒 council.

鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to running in the election this fall to continue the work I鈥檝e started on behalf of the good people of this city,鈥� Steele stated in the release.

鈥淚 joined 性视界传媒 First because I believed in the work, the values and the vision of my friend and colleague Dianne Watts. This is no longer the party that represents the ideals we began with, and in good conscience I can鈥檛 be part of it.鈥�

On June 22, 性视界传媒 First announced Tom Gill will be its mayoral candidate in the election, following a decision by Mayor Linda Hepner to not seek re-election.

Judy Villeneuve and Mary Martin, current members of the all-性视界传媒 First council, are also not seeking re-election this fall.

鈥� with files by Tom Zillich

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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