Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov to go back on leave following sex assault charge
Credit to Author: Tiffany Crawford| Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2019 17:05:39 +0000
Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov is going back on a leave of absence following a sex assault charge.
It was unclear whether the mayor planned to step aside after city council voted 4-3 last week on a motion asking him to go back on an unpaid leave while he still faces a criminal charge.
On Tuesday night, Vagramov announced that he was returning to leave over the next few days.
Diana Dilworth, the city councillor who brought forward the motion, said she was pleased that Vagramov has heard the hundreds of residents that implored him to return to a leave of absence.
“Our residents have had to take time out of their lives to come to city hall, to write emails, to make phone calls, to organize a petition and to protest in the streets of our community,” she said, adding that she remained disappointed that Vagramov continues to blame council for being politically motivated in its actions against him.
“The drama of which he references has been caused by his criminal charges and by a premature return to city hall, before he is exonerated of those charges,” she said.
Vagramov has been contacted for more information but has not yet replied.
Vagramov, who took a voluntary leave of absence in March after being charged with sexual assault, returned to work last month.
Dilworth told an emotionally charged meeting last week that Vagramov’s presence has challenged council’s ability to provide good governance.
Postmedia News asked Vagramov what he planned to do, in light of the vote, but he did not answer the question. Instead he said in his absence city council had been stonewalled, and that he wanted to get back on track with important issues like saving Bert Flinn Park and discussing the future of city lands.
Councillor Hunter Madsen, who, along with Coun. Steve Milani, voted against the motion, accused Vagramov’s political adversaries of exploiting the moment “to attempt a ruthless political takedown” of the mayor.
When he returned, Vagramov said that his charge was now a summary matter and his legal counsel was exploring a resolution that would not involve a trial.
Vagramov began a voluntary leave of absence on March 29, a day after the B.C. Prosecution Service announced he had been charged with sexual assault for an incident alleged to have taken place in Coquitlam in 2015.
Vagramov has denied the sexual assault allegation.
-with a file from David Carrigg