Vancouver Coun. Adriane Carr has resigned her council seat, which she has held since 2011.
The Green Party of Vancouver councillor told media last year that she was considering resigning from one of two seats on council held by the Greens.
In October she expressed frustration with Mayor Ken Sim’s decision to exclude her and fellow Green councillor Pete Fry from roles as deputy mayor, acting mayor and duty councillor. They were also excluded from the Metro Vancouver Regional District board.
Carr, 72, also complained about a “toxic” work environment at city hall.
She said Wednesday morning that council, led by Sim’s A Better City Vancouver party (ABC), hasn’t made decisions that reflect good governance and prioritize climate action.
“On the big issues that are really important to me … I can’t make much progress,” Carr said.
“I have lost confidence and trust in the mayor.”
Adriane Carr, a longtime Green Party councillor who has served since 2011, said that she is 80 per cent sure she’ll resign at the end of the year. Carr, who has been politically active for over 40 years, put partial blame on Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, who she said has created an acrimonious and “toxic workplace.”
According to her biography on the City of Vancouver website, Carr has taught at Langara College, and worked for the conservation group Wilderness Committee, which was founded by her husband, Paul George.
In 1983 she co-founded the Green Party of B.C.
She is currently Vancouver’s longest-serving councillor, having held the position for four terms.
Double byelection
Carr’s resignation sets up the need for a byelection to replace two councillors in Vancouver.
Christine Boyle of the OneCity municipal party resigned as councillor in December after being elected to the B.C. legislature in October.
“My resignation will simply add another seat to the ballot,” Carr said. “It will not cost the taxpayer more. That was important to me.”
There has been tension on council, and not just along party lines, as it has grappled with issues such as balancing housing starts against climate goals, the role of the city’s integrity commissioner and eliminating the elected park board.
Seven city councillors are aligned with the mayor’s ABC party. Boyle, Carr and Fry were the other three.
Political watchers say the byelection could signal an endorsement of ABC’s direction by adding to its majority or have voters choose to replace Boyle and Carr with opposition voices.
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