The Editor,

Jacques Cayer gives advice on “calculations” to Chelsea Quebec’s Caryl Green (Sever ties between town hall and Foundation, Valley Voice Nov. 11 edition). Hum! Lets look at his calculations.

Cayer makes reference to the difference in votes between the two mayoral candidates as being only six per cent of the eligible voters; a flawed interpretation of the figures. Caryl Green received 1345 (or 56.3 per cent) votes and Liam Fitzgerald 1043 (or 43.7 per cent) for a total of 2388.

The difference being 302 votes but where Cayer errs is in comparing to all the eligible voters; that is an error. You don’t cast a vote, you don’t count. In this election, there were 2388 voters, period!

Caryl Green won by a margin of 12.6 per cent. Saying that 302 margin represents only six per cent of Chelsea’s voters is irrelevant and misleading.

Caryl Green received a significant margin and it is indeed a strong mandate to go ahead.

The Foundation and non-Foundation members have no significance here because when voting, we are not asked to give allegiance to a specific group or association, only to vote for our choice of candidate. As long as politics has existed, groups of people have come together and presented candidates, that is how politics work.

The fact that Caryl Green has presided over such an organization is a credit to her and the acquired experience will only assist her in her new duties as mayor.

Where I do agree with Cayer is when it comes to the NCC. Chelsea roads are used to access the numerous park entrances and the NCC should play a larger role in helping our municipality maintain them. With Charles Cardinal joining the ranks of the NCC, I am sure more attention will be given to these issues.

Eric Leclair

Chelsea

Tagged as: Caryl Green, chelsea quebec, election calculations, Letters