Leslie Asks:
What are your thoughts on accountability and transparency and Council decisions made behind closed doors?
Far too often it appears that decisions are taken 'in camera' because the Community Charter ALLOWS the topic to be taken behind closed doors, not because the discussion/decision HAS to be taken behind closed doors.
(The Community Charter is clear on which topics must be discussed in private and which may be discussed in private, leaving a lot of leeway for lack of transparency.)
I strongly feel that all items except the ones the staff flag as confidential should be held in open council. The Tom Galardi issue is the one I always bring forward and was only brought to the public by a media 5 months after the closed door meeting. Totally unacceptable.