Integrity probe urged into councillor
Jockey notes Davies has Prairieland membership
An advocate calling for the preservation of the Marquis Downs horse racing track alleges Ward 4 Coun. Troy Davies shouldn't have voted on matters related to Prairieland Park Corp.
Nicole Hein filed a complaint on Monday with the city's integrity commissioner. Hein, who is a jockey, has been campaigning to prevent a proposed demolition of what is currently the province's only horse racing track at Marquis Downs. Prairieland previously announced it was ending horse racing at the site to make way for a Canadian Premier League soccer franchise.
Hein alleges Davies has a conflict because he is a personal member of Prairieland Park Corp., unrelated to his position as a city councillor.
To become a Prairieland member, a person must be recommended by two current members and approved by the board of directors. Members are also required to pay a $40 annual fee. In exchange, they are called on first when Prairieland needs volunteers. Members also get free admission to some events, voting privileges at annual general meetings and are eligible to be nominated to the Prairieland board of directors.
Hein's complaint also references language in the membership criteria requiring potential Prairieland members to have an “active and positive interest in the objectives of the Corporation.” It suggests he ought to have recused himself from various votes since 2016, including a June 14 committee vote rejecting a call from Hein and others in the city's horse racing community to have Marquis Downs designated as a municipal heritage property.
Hein said her filing with the integrity commissioner about Davies isn't meant to reverse any of the decisions that have already been made regarding Marquis Downs.
“There's things going on at the city that shouldn't be, in my opinion, regardless of where I stand on Marquis Downs, and I feel like it's about time that it starts to be remedied,” she said.
In a written statement, Davies confirmed to Postmedia that he has been a Prairieland member for well over a decade.
“I have personally purchased a membership to this amazing, non-profit organization every year for the past 15 years ... and will continue to do so,” he wrote.