British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell says the mayor of Port Coquitlam should step down.
But Campbell isn't about to back up that view by pushing for changes to the law that would force Scott Young to resign, something he refused to do at a city council meeting on Monday evening even after his entire council called for him to step down for the third time.
"It's not been something that's been on the government's radar to date,'' Campbell told CTV in an interview Tuesday.
Campbell's comments come after Port Coquitlam city councillors voted unanimously in favour of a motion calling for Young's resignation as mayor after he pleaded guilty to three charges, including two assault charges, in a provincial court last week.
The charges of a breach of an undertaking and two separate assault charges are connected to an incident with his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend in April 2007.
He is seeking a stay on the remaining four charges he faces, including criminal harassment, break and enter and breach of an undertaking.
Monday night's council meeting was the third time Port Coquitlam councillors have called for Young's resignation. The first two occurred in the weeks following the incident on April 4th, 2007.
Councillor Mike Forrest said ultimately, council has done all it can do.
"We're looking for ways in which to disqualify the mayor, and there aren't any within the legislation that apply to this situation," he said. "I don't think there are any avenues we haven't explored yet."
In order to get the provincial government to look at the issue, the Union of B.C. Municipalities would have to propose changes to the legislation in order to cover a situation like this one, Forrest said.
"We have brought (this situation) to the provincial government's attention, and we'll have to do it again regarding the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in order to get there to be a unified voice," said Forrest. "Or the provincial government could initiate it on its own, I presume."
After his arrest last year, Young admitted he had 'alcohol problems' and stepped down for one month. He maintained his actions were 'inappropriate,' but said he could return to his duties as mayor.
But Premier Campbell says Young should act now before he is forced to do so in the municipal elections in November.
"Today' that's his choice. In November, it will be the people of Coquitlam's choice," Campbell said.
In the meantime, said Forrest, councillors need to move ahead with the business of the city.
"You have to do what you have to do with the person in the chair that you now have basically lost respect for, based on the situation at hand," he said.
"It's just an awkward situation to put any of us in, as councillors. We would hope it would be otherwise, but it isn't, so we have to ... get on with doing the best we can do in a bad situation with respect to city business."
Elected Mayor of Port Coquitlam in 2001, Young served as a city councillor from 1996 to 2000.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Jim Beatty.
