Maple Ridge council has backed away from formalizing its practice of keeping councillor voting records from closed meetings secret.
A motion at Tuesday’s meeting proposed clarifying the policy, by stating that the voting record from a closed meeting will only be released if council passes a resolution to do so.
But most on council didn’t like the idea and voted it down and wanted more public access on what politicians decide in closed meetings.
Coun. Craig Speirs called for voting records from closed meetings to be released automatically, unless council specifically decides otherwise.
“I think, if we really want to be transparent, the voting records should be released, unless there is a resolution by council in camera to not release it. I think it should be normal business to release the voting record on any closed item.”
Council can go into closed meetings when discussing personnel issues, labour relations, property purchases or legal or law issues.
Coun. Kiersten Duncan said that by having the release of council voting records only as an option, it can be difficult for individual councillors to make such a request.
“If it’s automatic, council then has the option to choose not to release it.
“I just do not feel comfortable not releasing that information.”
Some issues will have voting records released and some won’t, she added.
“I’d far rather have my personal voting record always in the public eye.”
But voting records from closed meetings will only be released if council votes to do so. That’s happened only a few times this year.
“Right now, it does not get released, so that does not change,” said Mayor Nicole Read.
If council wants to change its practice, the bylaw would have to be reviewed again, she added.
Read said she wouldn’t oppose having more voting records released from closed meetings.
“I, personally, have no issue with any of my votes being released to the public. My decision-making is not influenced by whether something is public or not.”
Coun. Gordy Robson said he could lead the move to have voting records automatically released from closed meetings.
“I will do it if nobody else does.”
Couns. Corisa Bell, Robson, Duncan and Speirs voted to remove the clarification.
Coun. Bob Masse favoured the current practice, saying some issues have to remain closed.
He wants a systematic approach to determining what gets released and doesn’t. Discussions can be stifled if councillors’s votes will be released.
“I think we should determine, case by case, whether it should be released.”
“Now, we have to balance that against the right of the public to know what we’re doing. I’m not afraid of my voting being released. That’s not it at all.”