More transparency at town hall
It's your money and your town. I'll push to let you see where it goes, and ask about anything.
Show where your money goes
I'll push for the town to post its spending online every month: who got paid, how much, and for what. Today, the town puts out one list a year, with one total per company. Money paid in January 2025 wasn't on that list until June 2026. That's 17 months later.
Check that the money was spent well
I'll push for a value-for-money audit. Every year, auditors check that the town's books add up. That audit doesn't check whether the money was well spent.
Put big reports in plain English
I'll push for a one-page, plain-English summary of every big council report, posted before the meeting. You shouldn't need a lawyer to know what council is voting on.
Let you ask council about anything
I'll push to let you ask council about any town issue again. Until 2023, you could. Now you can only ask about something on a recent agenda. For anything else, you have to apply a month ahead to speak. The town's top staff member can reject your request. The rules don't say on what grounds. In December 2023, a vote to bring back open questions lost 4 to 3.
Vote no on tax hikes
I'll vote against tax hikes. The town's 2027 budget survey asked how much your tax should go up: 4 to 6%, 6 to 8%, or 8 to 10%. "No increase" wasn't on the list. That's the box I'd have checked.
Make closed decisions public
I'll move a rule that council reviews its closed-door decisions on a schedule and posts what it can. Council met behind closed doors 22 times in 2025. Today, nothing has to come out. A decision is released only if council votes to release it. Nanaimo reviews and posts old ones twice a year. Whistler can too.
Tell you what each closed meeting is about
I'll move to change council's rules so every closed-meeting notice names the topic. Today, Whistler's rules say a notice "must not otherwise describe the matter." The notice for September 22, 2026 listed 16 legal reasons. Its three headings were "Other business," "Employee relations" and "Termination." That's all it said. BC's Ombudsperson recommends describing each topic.
Let residents file complaints
I'll push to let you file a complaint when a councillor breaks the code of conduct. Today, only councillors and staff can. You elect us. You should be able to hold us to the rules.
Report my votes and promises
- I'll explain every public vote I cast, in plain English, the same week.
- Every 3 months, I'll report on each promise: what I did, how I voted, and whether council acted on it.
