Good local governance is not just about doing the right thing with ratepayer cash. It’s also about being seen to do the right thing.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
At Wednesday night’s meeting a divided council made the decision to alter the city’s Councillor Expenses Entitlement Policy to give the chief executive the power to approve interstate and overseas travel without going through a public meeting.
Some made the argument that handing the power to the chief executive would make the process more efficient, yet it’s hard to see how this is a concern given how infrequent ratepayer-funded overseas travel is.
City of Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh also said ratepayers would have the chance to comment on travel during the budget process, but anyone who’s had the painstaking task of wading through hundreds of pages of budget documents would appreciate presenting an item in a budget does not constitute an active effort to alert the ratepayer.
To be clear, this is not to say there are no instances where overseas travel could be advantageous to the city.
Where trips provide councillors or council officers the chance to gather expertise which can be implemented in Ballarat it can represent a wise investment, likewise where international advocacy leads to winning events or investment.
Most residents would accept the role of local government has moved beyond the old archetype of roads and rubbish.
But valid reasoning does not alleviate the need to be upfront about such costs, particularly surrounding an issue council knows grinds on the gears of many in the community.
The equation is simple: If a councillor believes in the merit of overseas travel, take to the floor of the council chambers and prosecute the case.
In an environment where council readily cries poor due to state-imposed rate capping, the community deserves clear explanation of spending which could be interpreted as excessive.
Similar questions can be raised about councillors’ decision to knock back a motion put forward by Cr Coates to live stream council meetings, a process which is already underway in many chambers across the state.
While this is likely to come back before council in the future, it’s presents a clear opportunity for council to demonstrate its commitment to engaging as many residents as possible in the process of governance.
Surely this is at the very heart of a transparent organisation.
