By Mark Squibb/September 23, 2021
Witless Bay Mayor Derm Moran said the town has been having troubling filling a key position.
It opened up when former assistant clerk Barbara Harrington resigned earlier this summer.
Moran said it’s not a matter of finding appropriate applicants, but keeping them. Moran said that an applicant was hired earlier this summer, and subsequently quit a week later. Another new hire was brought into the fold shortly thereafter to fill the same position. Again, according to Moran, they quit about a week into their tenure.
He suggested that tensions between the town and special interest groups might have something to do with the speedy departures.
“We’ve had several people hired on, and I’m not saying it is the case, but they were there for a week, and we are now looking for staff again, which is difficult,” said Moran. “And I’m not saying that it is (due to the pressure from some special interest groups) … but I’m hoping it’s not. Young people that are getting employed do not need to be subject to, I can’t say it’s a threat, I can only say there’s words that one could take to be… the comments being made, one could take it to be somewhat of a threat, and that doesn’t help the town.”
Moran admitted he did not ask the individuals why they vacated the position.
“I felt like they were very informed individuals, and I didn’t ask why, because that’s their personal reasons,” said Moran. “And I’m not saying what caused it, but it seemed out of the norm. They were capable individuals. It was not a case of not knowing how to do the work… And so, we’re looking again, and the new town councillors will have to deal with that, and I’m hoping they’re successful.”
