Vision Vancouver city Coun. Geoff Meggs has announced his resignation from city council to become the new chief of staff for NDP Leader and premier-designate John Horgan.
Meggs was one of three key new staff members announced by the NDP July 4.
Don Wright, a former BCIT president and Central 1 Credit Union CEO, has been named as the deputy minister of executive council, cabinet secretary and head of the Public Service. Bob Dewar, the NDP’s campaign manager, will become Horgan’s special adviser.
Meggs’ resignation means a byelection will have to be held, since the next regular election is more than a year away.
According to the Vancouver Charter, a byelection does not have to be held if the vacancy occurs after June 1 in the year the next regular election is scheduled. The next regular election is in October 2018.
Meggs could have stayed on as city councillor and still worked for Horgan as chief of staff, but decided to resign instead.
“I decided, after some reflection, that it would be best if I resigned so there would be no confusion of my roles,” Meggs told Business in Vancouver.
“It was a critical offer to go and work on projects that are really important to me and make the province more affordable,” he said. “I did think hard about it.”
“It’s not a surprise,” Coun. George Affleck said of Meggs’ decision to take the job as Horgan’s chief of staff. “There had been rumours. I just think it’s unfortunate for the taxpayers of Vancouver. It’s going to be very expensive to have a byelection.”
Horgan received the lieutenant governor’s assent June 29 to form a minority government, following the defeat of the Christy Clark Liberal government in a non-confidence vote.
This will not be Meggs’ first job with an NDP government. In the 1990s, he served as the communications director for the premier’s office under the Glen Clark NDP government.
