ALLEN'S NO-SHOW WILL COST $100K

Holdout School Trustee Skipped Swearing-In

Jamie Brennan, the newly elected chairman of the Nanaimo-Ladysmith
school district board of trustees, believes personal feelings
concerning incoming trustee Bill Bard are behind a high-profile
incumbent's refusal to be sworn in.

Donna Allen received 7,405 votes to finish in the middle of the pack
of trustees during the Nov. 19 civic election but she did not show up
to be sworn in Monday at the district's administrative office on
Wakesiah Avenue.

Last week, Allen sent a letter to the school district saying she
would refuse to be sworn in as a trustee. She wants the School Act
changed so that anyone with a criminal record must disclose that fact
when they run for elected office. Bard was convicted in 2006 of
cultivation of a prohibited substance (marijuana). He pleaded guilty
to the charge and served a one-year conditional sentence.

Brennan said Allen and Bard often argued at previous board meetings,
especially regarding the previous school board's decision to scrap a
facilities renewal plan, that would have pumped more than $86 million
into the district.

Phil Turin, the district's secretary-treasurer and chief electoral
officer, said the district has no choice under the School Act but to
hold a byelection if Allen refuses to get sworn in by Jan. 5.

Brennan wants to see if he can find another way to deal with the
situation rather than spending $100,000 on what he calls an
"unnecessary" byelection. "I am going to be asking the Ministry (of
Education) if there are other ways we can deal with this."

Two weeks ago, in his capacity as secretary-treasurer, Turin warned
trustees this school district faced shortfalls of more than $5.3
million during the next two years.

A $100,000 byelection won't help.

"That's my estimate right now, it could end up costing more," said Turin.

If Allen isn't sworn in by Jan. 5, she would be disqualified under
the School Act to run in the byelection and would not be eligible to
run as a candidate until the next general election in 2014.

In October, Allen and other trustees were angry about comments Bard
made to the Gabriola Sounder newspaper.

Bard is quoted as saying, "The closer one looks at the record of this
board, the more I see the crimes being committed are against
children, staff, the taxpayer and public education."

Some members of the board had the Vancouver law firm Harris and
Company LLP send a letter to Bard demanding a clarification of what
they deemed "false and defamatory comments."

Brennan refused to participate in the meeting at which it was decided
to hire a "lawyer at who knows what cost."

Despite repeated telephone calls to her home and cellphone, as well
as a visit to her residence, Allen has remained unavailable for
comment to the Daily News.