A Kincardine councillor says it’s time to review whether or not the Committee of the Whole governance system is really working.
Councillor Mike Leggett says he was led to believe that the new system would speed up the process of government.
Leggett says there were supposed to be some efficiencies in getting rid of the public advisory group committee system where issues are aired out and then brought back to council by a councillor on that committee.
Currently council uses a Committee of the Whole system where all information comes directly from any special purpose group to council.
Leggett says the change was supposed to free up staff time to prepare reports.
However, he says there was supposed to be less “matters arising” at council but the trend is back to more of them in the past couple of council meetings.
In essence the matters arising pigeon-holes councillors into making snap decisions before any appreciable study of an issue.
Leggett says he doesn’t think the system is working as it should.
He will be calling on council to follow through on their suggestion when the change was made, to re-visit the concept after budget talks to see if it works as they thought it would.
Leggett doesn’t think so.
