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The principal purpose of Municipal Musings in respect to the Kincardine Municipal Council is to encourage Council to practice transparency in all it does. The Sun Times recently ran a guest editorial and though aimed at the federal government, is applicable to all levels of government. “The freedom to access government information is one of the primary cornerstones of democracy” the editorial begins. A side bar states, “Government shows blatant disregard for our right to information.” If cynicism with politicians is to decrease and the number of voters at elections is to increase then citizens must have timely and straightforward access to information. Only then can they truly join in the democratic process and express informed opinions on the issues. The municipality has a website; it should be used to the fullest. The minutes are posted but they could be more timely, say three days after a meeting. Minutes could also have fuller explanations, especially with regard to closed sessions. The reason for and subject of the session should be more explicit, is possible without revealing personal data. For example, “…matters regarding the security of property…& Solicitor/Client Privilege” is not a sufficient reason to exclude citizens. Being specific in explaining the issue may take more effort, but it is necessary if people are to be kept informed and able to judge matters for themselves. As with council minutes, committee minutes timely posted on the site bring citizens into the democratic process. There are no shortcuts to participatory democracy and none should be taken. The technology is available. It has been said here before: openness minimizes disputes and promotes constructive argument. There is a far better chance to move towards consensus on issues and though a person does not always get the solution he or she desires, that person could be more accepting of the final outcome having been an actual part of the debate. No doubt there are those who think this is all too negative. There are those who will not read a book because the ideas expressed might suggest the need to change. That is too bad, but I can only encourage thoughtful debate not change inborn attitudes
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