‘It’s getting dangerous’: St. Stephen council reports rise in harassment of town staff

The mayor of St. Stephens, N.B., is speaking out on the rise of harassment claims against elected officials.

The municipal district of St. Stephen, N.B., has penned an open letter directed towards residents condemning a rise in “public incivility and harassment of municipal officials.”

The letter says in the recent months town staff have seen an “alarming rise” is personal attacks, harassment, and intimidation claims that have been directly at both members of town council as well as municipal staff.“

Serving in public office is a commitment to our community-often at significant personal cost,” the letter reads in part. “Our elected officials and municipal employees work every day to make thoughtful, responsible decisions that reflect the needs and values of our residents. While it is expected that not all decisions will be universally supported, disagreement must never justify abuse.

“The escalating tone of discourse-online, in person, and through other channels-has led to threats, verbal assaults, and undue pressure on those who serve. This behaviour is not only unacceptable, it erodes the very foundation of civil society. It creates a hostile environment that discourages honest participation, deters talented individuals from seeking public roles, and undermines the democratic process itself.”

The letter was signed by mayor Allan MacEachern, and C.A.O. Jeff Renaud.

“We went through a lot of bad experiences in the last little while related to staff and counselors. We just were seeing what’s going on around us, the risk of where we’re heading, and so we had to put it out there that we need to do better.”

The mayor says it’s more then just comments on social media, which local officials expect in this day and age. MacEachern wouldn’t give specific examples when asked, but he did say there have been physical assaults, threats to livelihood, and threats to direct individuals.

He is hoping citizens will see the letter and be encouraged to work together, and engage in healthy discussions on issues the town is facing.

“We should be showing our children how to act and not normalize this [behaviour],” the mayor believes. “I know this is way bigger than little old Saint Stephen here, but we got to do better, and we got to start somewhere.”

Since posting the letter online last week, MacEachern says he has heard from other municipalities in the province that are dealing with the same issues.

Dan Murphy is the president of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick. He says the trend of rising abuse towards elected officials is happening nationwide.

“We’re all talking about what are ways that we can work on this challenge collectively,” he says. “How do we create a good environment for folks who want to run.”

He credits St. Stephen council for calling out the inappropriate behaviour. To write a letter to the residents of the community calling out some actions is not a decision that would have been made lightly he says.

“There’s a need to have a discussion about how we return to civil discourse, and that doesn’t mean agreeing with everything that council does of course,” Murphy says. “But it means that we need to have respectful debates and remember that people who work on council live in the community. They are community members too, and they’re working in the best interest of what they want to see in their community.”

While serving as a member on town council can be rewarding to serve your community, both Murphy and MacEachern say the trend could result in some people not wanting to run for a seat in the future.

“I’m worried that we’re going to miss out on the opportunity of getting some great leaders to sign up and run for our communities on all levels of government,” says MacEachern. “I’ve been watching that for a long, long time and it’s very concerning.”

In a statement to CTV Atlantic, New Brunswick’s Department of Local Government spokesperson Jennifer MacNeil says they are aware of the growing concern surrounding harassment towards both elected and non-elected officials. She says while it is essential for citizens to share and express their opinions, it must be done in a way that promotes respectful dialogue and safe participation for everyone.

“We are also keeping in touch with other provinces and territories to learn how they are handling similar issues,” says MacNeil. “Understanding it requires all of us to work together to protect healthy and respectful public debate.”

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