Mayor’s office confirms police board member resigned

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This article was published 23/05/2024 (513 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The mayor’s office has confirmed a member of the Winnipeg Police Board has resigned.

A motion to replace Kyle Mason will be reworded to better reflect the need for the change, Scott Gillingham’s office said Thursday morning.

A motion that passed at executive policy committee Wednesday called to officially revoke Mason’s appointment, alleging he had breached the board’s code of ethical conduct, though it noted no details.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Mason told the Free Press he had already resigned after the board questioned him about a driving offence.

He said he received a ticket for driving without vehicle insurance because of a mixup regarding his renewal date, which was deemed to violate the code.

Mason stressed the matter was triggered by his resignation, not a board call to revoke his appointment.

The mayor’s office confirmed the motion will be amended to reflect the departure as a resignation.

Gillingham later told media the change reflected new information to his office that came after the EPC vote.

“We want to make sure that the motion reflects the formal resignation that was put in … The information that I have today is updated and so I’ll make sure that when the motion gets to council it is amended so that it reflects the fact that Mr. Mason resigned,” said Gillingham.

The code sets a broad list of rules for police board members, including they not interfere with the police service’s operational decisions, keep information from private meetings confidential, discharge their duties in a manner that will inspire public confidence and refrain from acting unlawfully or compromising the board’s integrity.

In April, Mason was named executive director of CNIB (formerly Canadian National Institute for the Blind) for Manitoba and Saskatchewan. He serves on multiple boards.

Former police board member Colleen Mayer will replace Mason, if council approves.

Council will cast the final vote on the matter on May 30.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca