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.)
Yes, the Community Charter allows many decisions to be made in camera behind closed doors with little to no public or council consultation. A new policy was adopted at the eleventh hour of our current council - Policy No. GGA-40, Procurement, effective September 18, 2018. Unfortunately I believe this policy change will lead to even less transparency and public consultation, not more. I feel very strongly that procurement policy and practice should become more transparent to encourage accountability and fairness and believe it would go a long way to calm the water around residents who feel they are kept in the dark and have no control over the spending of THIER money. If a company bids on a publicly funded project instead of protecting the bid process from public eyes those bidding would have to be comfortable with the public process. The Organization is spending public money whether the funds are coming from municipal coffers, provincial taxation or federal tax dollars - it is the people who are paying and they deserve full disclosure and much more effective open and transparent process, not less. I was very disappointed that this policy decision was not put off until a new council was brought in. Rolling it back now will be much more difficult.