MOUNTIES SEIZE FORMER COUNCILLOR'S COMPUTERS

Man Cites Political Intimidation in Case

A former Mission district councillor -a leading critic of the city's
controversial marijuana growing operation inspection process -had
three computers seized Monday after RCMP officers raided his home in
connection with a breach-oftrust investigation.

"I regard this as political intimidation by the district," said Ron
Taylor, who served on Mission council for 12 years until he retired
from office in 2005.

Langley RCMP Cpl. Holly Marks said the seizures were part of an
investigation by Mission RCMP into an alleged breach of trust and
breach of the Community Charter.

But the RCMP would not elaborate on the nature of the allegations,
which concern a suspected leak from Mission council to Taylor.

Taylor, an outspoken critic of the district's marijuana growing
operations bylaw, believes the raid is related to what he claimed at a
March public meeting was a secret contract between Mission and the
public relations firm Laura Ballance Media Group.

He said the company had been hired to put "a spin" on the mounting
controversy caused by the district's decision to charge residents a
$5,200 fee for inspections carried out to determine if they were
growing marijuana.

However, the breach of trust investigation could relate to a number of
issues.

Paul Gipps, a spokesman for the District of Mission, would not comment
on whether the raid was related to an alleged leak about a contract
with the Balance group.

"I cannot comment on a police investigation," said
Gipps.

Mission Mayor James Atebe did not return calls from The Vancouver
Sun.

Said Taylor: "At the meeting I asked about their hiring the company and was
told by the district that it was an in-camera matter."

Dozens of residents whose higher-than-average electricity consumption
had led to the inspections, have been charged the fee regardless of
marijuana not being found, said Taylor.

A number of such residents have launched a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme
Court against Mission.

Taylor, who is not a party to the lawsuit, has championed their
cause.

"One person was growing cucumbers and he had to pay the fee. The
inspectors found potting soil in another's house and decided he'd been
growing marijuana previously. They have been fining people on no
evidence and have been treating them badly," he said.

Because of the public backlash, Taylor claimed that council's plan was
to hire the Ballance group to meet with local newspaper editors ahead
of the district releasing information on the issue to the public.

"They'd have a PR company meet first with local editors to put their
PR spin on it and only then would the information be released to the
public," said Taylor.

"They kept all this secret. I know discussions held in camera can't be
disclosed but once they've signed a contract it should be made
public," he said.

However, Gipps denied that the Ballance group was asked to meet with
newspapers before the information was made public.

A March 7 report, available on the district's website, outlines a
series of recommendations that includes hiring a company to help the
district effectively communicate the decision about the fee to the
public.

"The recommendation was to go to the media and the public at the same
time," Gipps said. "That was a recommendation that was released from a
closed meeting."

The report says the Mission City Record, Abbotsford Mission Times and
the online publication Abbotsford Today should be invited to
participate in editorial board meetings with district staff on the
communications strategy about the controlled substance property bylaw.

Gipps said he did not know why Taylor was claiming the process was a
secret.

"There's no secret that we were having a challenge with the controlled
substance bylaw. Council reviewed it and one of the options that came
out of that is that we needed to do a better job of communicating what
we were doing and why ... so we asked to bring in help to do that," he
said.

"It was all made public in that report."

Taylor said he would not disclose his sources at the district but
added: "I had two sources for everything I've said."

He had no quarrel with the police.

"They were courteous and they weren't trying to make my life more
difficult. But I feel they are being used as a tool by the district,"
said Taylor, 69.

According to search warrants, the officers were investigating a
suspected information leak from city hall, which is an offence under
the Community Charter, he said. But he wants his computers back as
soon as possible as he uses them for contract work.

Marks confirmed officers did seize computers from two residences
Monday at 7 p.m. but said police would not be releasing the names or
addresses of suspects.