The end of April 2017 marked a significant moment in Ritchot’s municipal affairs with the sudden resignation of Mayor Jackie Hunt, followed in quick succession by two councillors. The result was the dissolution of the entire council and the calling of a by-election to open up all five seats for re-election.
Since that time, the previous mayor and all four councillors have decided to run again. Many other residents have stepped forward, looking to bring change to what many see as a faulty system.
Apart from a press release by Jackie Hunt, the recently resigned mayor and two of her colleagues, Jeannot Robert and Ron Mamchuk, chose to remain silent while residents reeled in disbelief and confusion. Few were aware of the full scope of the issues that led to the implosion of their elected council until letters began to circulate in the following weeks. These letters, issued by the two remaining councillors, Corinne Webb and Ernie Dumaine, offered a partisan look at the dysfunction and deceit they say took place during the past two and a half years of their council tenure.
According to Hunt, Robert, and Mamchuk, their silence in the midst of these allegations was for the most part intentional: simply refusing to participate in smear tactics and public shaming. With a new election on the horizon, all have decided it’s time to clear the air with full disclosure in order to give residents an opportunity to make informed votes on election day.
