A move to revive closed-door sessions of town council and staff was shut down last week by the councillors who pledged they would be more open and transparent to the public.
A recommendation by Sackville’s chief administrative officer to bring back monthly in-camera meetings so that town administrators could “express themselves more freely” was opposed by council in a 5-2 vote last Monday night.
“We made a commitment when we came in (following the 2008 election) to have as much discussion in public as we could,” said Coun. John Higham, who voted against the extra monthly meeting. “And I think it would be too easy to slide back . . . to start having more discussions behind closed doors.”
Coun. Merrill Fullerton agreed with his fellow councillor.
“I understand the CAO’s concerns . . . but I think it’s important to be candid in public.”
CAO Eric Mourant explained that, although council holds twice-monthly public meetings, “what we don’t have are in-camera meetings, where staff and council can express their opinions and concerns without being misinterpreted.”
Mourant argued it’s imperative for the CAO, department heads and council to have the opportunity to share information and ideas privately and to be able to talk freely in total confidence, which he believes can only be achieved through in-camera sessions without “microphones under our noses and cameras in our faces.”
He said he respects the need for openness and accountability to the taxpayers, but noted that transparency would still continue because decisions would only be made during the regular public meetings.
Coun. Margaret Tusz-King questioned the need for the private meetings, however, noting that council already meets behind closed doors for legal, land and personnel issues - three topics subject to privacy laws under New Brunswick’s Municipalities Act.
Coun. Virgil Hammock, one of only two councillors to vote for a return of in-camera sessions, countered that the closed-door meetings, a format that was used in the past, did allow for a “candidness that doesn’t happen now.”
