Muzzling Councillors

The motion below (in blue) is coming before council in an attempt to muzzle some of our councillors and prevent them from handing in statements, asking that questions, answers and votes be recorded etc. All this does is undermine our right as citizens to know what is going on at Council. Councillors aren't regularly asking for this and surely a couple of times a month can't be onerous for staff (and if it is we need to hire more staff not punish councillors and voters). A large part of the next election will have to be about transparency and openess. Councillors ask for these things for the sake of clarity so that everyone can know what the debate was about, that due diligence was done as far as questioning is concerned and that Councillors decisions can be rightly interpreted.

That Staff review the ‘Central Saanich Council Procedure Bylaw No. 1094, 1993’ as amended, particularly in regards to the practice of including in the minutes verbatim comments and questions from individual members of Council during the course of Council or Committee deliberations.

Please send letters protesting any further attack on our Councillors rights to be heard and our rights as citizens to know what is going on. Between this and the 3 motions last September it has become harder and harder to trace how decisions are being made. Address letters "To Mayor and Council" and send to municipalhall@csaanich.ca