A second Sayward village councillor has resigned, leaving the village to fill two seats via by-election in the next few months.
Coun. Tom Tinsley tendered his resignation this week, saying that there have been an “excessive number of council meetings with limited productivity over the last 18 months.” Tinsley is the second councillor to give up his seat this year, with former Coun. Kohen Gilkin resigning in March. Tinsley was first elected in 2020 after a by-election, and was re-elected in 2022.
“I would like to thank those who voted me in at the previous by-election and the current term,” Tinsley stated in his resignation letter to Mayor and Council, adding that he “looks forward to the success of other individuals elected to serve the community.”
Tinsley also said that the stress of the job “no longer allows him to maintain his health while meeting other obligations personally and professionally.”
Tinsley’s resignation leaves the village council with only two councillors and the mayor.
As of May 15, Sayward Council has not uploaded new meeting minutes to its website, apart from a special council meeting about a rezoning application, and a public hearing about the same project. The village has also not uploaded any council meeting recordings to its website since January.
According to the Times Colonist, the province has appointed a municipal advisor to help “resolve ongoing friction” at council meetings.
The Mirror has reached out to Tinsley and Mayor Mark Baker for comment.
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