Sechelt Mayor John Henderson has submitted his resignation to the board of the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
Per the SCRD, on October 26 the Board passed a motion to censure Henderson, and to request that District of Sechelt Council remove him from his role on the SCRD Board for the remainder of his term as Mayor.
It’s in response to a workplace incident that occurred during a public meeting in the spring of 2023, which the board says breached their respectful workplace policy.
Related: SCRD votes to remove Sechelt’s mayor after internal investigationÂ
Henderson’s resignation letter he says, “The SCRD board has issued their public censure of me for my short outburst on April 27, 2023. And I have expressed my regret. I believe this is where the matter should end.
However, I have learned the SCRD is pursuing the District of Sechelt Council asking us to ban me from sitting on the SCRD board for the next three years.”
Henderson says he believes the actions of the SCRD are wrong.
“This is wrong for so many reasons,” he writes. “It’s wrong in scale, it’s wrong in intent and it’s wrong in terms of the use of public funds, to name a few. I also think it is wrong for one government to try to tell another government what to do.
“But most importantly, it is wrong to expect my Council, with limited information, to make a decision that could divide and distract us from fulfilling our duties as elected officials.”
Henderson says the matter has required senior staff from Sechelt to spend time and incur legal costs to be able to guide Council’s potential deliberations.
“In resigning, my hope is that this will bring this matter to an end. And that it will enable the District of Sechelt and the SCRD to focus on important priorities,” he writes.
“I want to thank my family and my friends for their support through this challenging time,” he writes. “I will continue to be vocal on matters of importance to Sechelt taxpayers and to work to generate real results for us and the entire Sunshine Coast.”
No other comment was provided from the SCRD, other members of Sechelt council, or the District.
