By Jonathan Charlton
jonathan@peicanada.com

Island taxpayers provided Eastern School District Vice-Chairperson Henry Somers’ brother a place to stay when he went to visit his son in Halifax.
The board attended a recent conference in the city - despite an executive decision by Henry Somers, chair Bob Clow and secretary Richard Collins to shut down board and committee meetings in an attempt to ease tensions - and Bill Somers used the opportunity to hitch a ride with his brother and crash on his spare bed.
"He came for the drive," Henry Somers said. "Everything he bought he was on his own."
Trustee Sandy Clark also drove with them.
"He stayed with me but I mean that was all, he just stayed in the hotel. I had my room and he just stayed in the other bed. It was paid for."
Board Chair Bob Clow said there isn’t any board policy preventing trustees from bringing guests.
"We paid the conference rate for the rooms. Who people had in the rooms is none of my business."
Mr Clow said Bill Somers would not have been able to attend any of the meals or events because he was not registered and confirmed Bill Somers did not incur extra costs to taxpayers.
Mr Clow wouldn’t comment on whether the arrangement was appropriate.
"What people do in their personal life is nothing I’m going to talk about. All I’m going to say is a rate was charged for the room for a conference. All trustees paid the same rate. So I’m not going to get involved in anybody’s personal life or make judgements on anybody like that at all."
The only policy the board has on the subject is that the board will pay an individual’s out-of-pocket expenses to go to a conference, he said.
Seven trustees attended the conference despite public criticism for attending while the board was shut down.
Differences among trustees came to a head at a public meeting last month in Montague.