The mayor of Essex is asking a member of town council to limit the number of emails sent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a recent Zoom meeting of Essex council, Mayor Larry Snively raised the issue of emails being sent to town administration.
Without naming the councillor, he said administration is very busy and to answer emails day after day, is quite challenging and time consuming.
"I would love if it's very very important to send an email, but if it's not urgent please, please hold off a little bit until we come through this COVID situation," says Snively.
Essex councillor Sherry Bondy following a council meeting on September 3, 2019 (Photo by AM800's Zander Broeckel)
Following the meeting, Ward 4 councillor Sherry Bondy told AM800 News that the mayor was referring to her.
Bondy says it's not the first time the mayor has called her out for sending emails but if if residents ask questions, they deserve to get answers.
"I'm a busy councillor," she says. "I'm an active councillor and I can't change that at this point. So when residents ask me a question or I want to know something, then I'm going to ask administration. Communication is key."
Mayor Snively also told council not to send him emails that don't directly involve him.
"From this day forward, I don't really want to be copied on emails that really don't concern me directly," he says. "If you want to send an email, email the people that's involved. I don't want the email sent to me, I have more valuable time."
Bondy says she has an issue with a mayor who does not want to receive emails from councillors.
"Our mayor should say, 'councillor if you have problems, I'll help you. Let me know what your issues are, and I'll help you find out those answers.' But some of us are chastised like little children when we're just trying to do our job," she says.
Bondy calls communication key along with transparency and accountability.
"If the mayor doesn't want to read our emails from councillors, I have an issue with that, " she says. "Mr. Mayor you're elected to read our emails. The people of Essex put you there. The people in my ward also put you there. You know your salary is from them."
Bondy says she will continue to send emails to administration and her council colleagues.
She says it probably won't be the last time she's called out by the mayor.