Statement: Vaccine Mandate re: City of Quesnel Elected Officials (Mayor/Councillors)

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

In order to address the misinformation being propagated on social media regarding the vaccination status of the elected members of Quesnel City Council, the following facts are offered in an attempt to clarify this situation and assure the public that Council continues to operate in a fair, transparent, and equitable manner. 

1. While Quesnel City Council is the duly elected governing body for the City of Quesnel, it stands distinct and separate from the City as a corporate entity and plays no role in the day to day operations of the City. Council also has no direct relationship with City employees. Council only has one employee that is accountable to it and that is the City Manager.
    
2. The City of Quesnel's corporate vaccination policy does not apply to Council members as they are not employees of the City. The Mayor and Councillors are simply elected members of the public who receive a stipend for their public service.
    
3. Like the general public, members of Council must show proof of vaccination to access City workplaces and any City owned and operated venues, activities, and programs that require such proof. Council members are not "absolved" from the vaccine mandate whenever and wherever proof of vaccination is required for the general public. 
    
4. The City has protected Council's right to hold meetings in public and allow unvaccinated members of the public to attend Council meetings by designating the entrance, foyer, gallery, and Council Chambers as public space. This enables unvaccinated members of the public to attend open Council meetings without the restriction of requiring proof of vaccination, thus enabling us to maintain the transparency and openness of Council proceedings for all citizens. 
    
5. Members of the public only have to adhere to the Public Health Orders pertaining to masks and social distancing in order to attend open Council meetings. Council members must also wear masks and adhere to social distancing requirements. Council Chambers has been modified to enable Councillors and staff to remove their masks only when at their plexiglass protected seats around the Council table.
    
6. The fact that elected members of Council are not subject to the City of Quesnel’s corporate vaccine mandate policy, because they are not employees of the corporation, protects the rights of all citizens, regardless of vaccination status, to run for political office in this fall’s municipal election.

For more information -- please contact Mayor Simpson (email here)