Belleville City Councillor Kelly McCaw says some applicants to replace the late Pat Culhane have been bullied, slandered, and threatened.
During an interview on the Lorne Brooker Show Friday morning, McCaw discussed the committee she chairs, tasked with finding the candidate to fill the seat left vacant by Culhane’s passing.
McCaw says Wednesday (Jan 6) was the closing date for applications, and she says north of ten candidates are interested. She says now each committee member will receive the applications to score individually.
She says names of the candidates being considered are being left private for a reason.
“We have seen an unprecedented amount of slander, bullying tactics against any woman who dares to apply. I have heard from some women who wanted to apply, that they have received phones calls, threats, slander, bullying.”
She says she contacted the City Clerk to see if they could keep the names confidential to avoid that type of “attack” on these women. McCaw added the rhetoric by some also was against committee members as well.
Brooker asked Councillor McCaw if a male applicant would lose points for being a man.
“Nobody is excluded. Each individual committee member will use their scoring system that was developed for this purpose and they will come to their own idea based on each applicant where they fit into the scoring system.”
McCaw says some ways applicants are awarded points include (but not limited to) council or committee experience, if they are a minority, or female.
The full interview on the Lorne Brooker Show can be heard below.
