More Thoughts on Transparency and Openness

Transparency/ Openness (or more aptly stated: a greater level of transparency/ openness) has been a fundamental part of my platform since running for Mayor; however the issue of transparency for me goes back to two years now; where I have been attending council meetings, council of the whole meetings, town halls, taking notes and posting what I heard and noted that night or the next day…

Why? As a resident, I wanted to know what was going on, what council was to doing with my tax dollars and what they were planning to do with my tax dollars. At every meeting in the public session, I exercised my right as a taxpayer to question and even challenge the Mayor and council.

I wanted you to know what was discussed, passed and suggested. Unless you couldn’t attend in person, or log onto Teams, you had to wait a month to see the “approved”, abridged version of what was discussed.

The minutes need to come out quicker and be much more detailed. Can that be accomplished via a “special” meeting (online), simply to approve the minutes, as soon as they are transcribed?

Reports read out by councillors in a public session, are on the “record”, those should be posted for viewing by the public. The CAO presents a very detailed, multipage report into the record, that should be available to all residents immediately. Expense payments approved… can that be made available (not being privy to all of the rules, I can’t say for sure)? The only time we get details in a meeting is if a councillor questions something. Right now, we just get totals.

Another example: A nearby community just posted their 2025 audit (December 31, 2025) last week. We in Arcadia only saw the 2024 (December 31, 2024) audited statement when posted on the Arcadia website on January 6, 2026, after approval of the 2025 budget. Other communities have shared draft versions of the next years budgets, with resident, than called a public meeting to discuss any concerns prior to finalizing the budget.

I’ve advocated at meeting previously as to streaming the meetings; whether it be to Facebook Live, or establishing a Youtube channel. There are municipalities that do this now, as does the Capital Region Service Commission. I believe that we have the rudimentary equipment available. I would explore that initially, if I were to be entrusted with your support on May 11, 2026

Another thing I’d like to see is some sort of public session where the taxpayer can learn how their tax dollars, once they get pad, are treated. Explanations as to reserves, how debt are addressed, how potential surpluses, tax reductions are calculated. How council addresses ward specific . not ward specific costs and how budget are prepared. It may not be as easy as “1+1=2”. It may be somewhat complex given we have 6 wards some with debt, some without, some with more ward specific costs, and two wards with significantly higher mill rates than the other four.

This may not be for everyone; however, whereas it is the taxpayers dollars that fund most everything, residents/ taxpayer should be able to learn how that process works.

Regarding engagement, the Mayor is correct in stating that there are some 28ish opportunities for the public to attend council proceedings. “Many” allow for public input, “some” do not. Attendance is not large at these meetings. This is an opportunity for you to be heard.

We also have to address the folks out there(and that could be “many” that do not use Facebook or even surf the internet.

We have to look at some sort of non-digital way of getting the “news’ to them, whether that be a monthly news letter sent to every mailbox in Arcadia, which is not an exorbitant cost (from personal experience), or working in conjunction with existing, physical, local publications.

I’m not suggesting that the current Mayor/ council is not transparent. I see a path to increased transparency (subject to legal/ privacy restrictions, of course) possible and will work, as mayor, to achieve that.

Thanks again for listening.