VOTE JOHN DACOMBE FOR COURTENAY COUNCIL

Administrative efficiencies and Council accountability

I’ve written a lot of Briefing Notes, Assessments, and other governmental reports. I’ve sat in a lot of governmental and non-governmental meetings.

So I understand that time is money, elected officials at all levels are given way too much information to successfully take in (Council weekly meeting binders are sometimes over 1,000 pages long), and far too much time and money is spent writing reports that are filed and forgotten.

What are my solutions?

• A two-page limit on all Staff Reports and Briefing Notes. This is standard in some jurisdictions.

• A five-minute maximum for all presentations to Council. This is standard in many jurisdictions.

• A public, easily read, aggregated record of every vote by every Council member.This is standard in many jurisdictions. Residents should not have to hunt for hours to find out how Council members voted.

• Some Council members were absent for significant stretches over recent terms. I will introduce a motion to withhold wages from any Council member who does not attend multiple Council meetings without a reason acceptable to a majority of Council.

• An end to catered meals at municipal meetings, unless those meetings must be held over mealtimes.

• Fewer consultants, as discussed elsewhere.