Conflicts of interest concern some voters

As election day fast approaches, it would be a useful reminder to King voters that it is not in essence about electing a mayor and council for King. Local councils today are

largely puppet governments who are hamstrung by the strings that are controlled and pulled at the Regional level. This is where the power center for municipal politics lies and where all

the big decisions are made on the mega projects that most impact our quality of life and pocketbooks.

For that reason, it is vital for King to have a strong voice there to defend our interests and important for King to keep in mind we are in fact, electing a mayor to represent us there in the throne room of power.

Our problem in King over the last terms of office is that we have not had an effective voice at the power center because of the mayor's occasional abstinence from voting due to a conflict of interest with her husband's business. This has left King without a voice on critical decisions at the level of government where we most need strong representation.

Whoever is elected mayor in this election must put a stop to this, as it is compromising our interests and our democratic right to have a say in the matters that most concern us.

Paul Pepperall,

King City