One of the few positives brought about by the need to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic was the modernization and opening of access to municipal government. Specifically, citizen and media access to municipal council meetings. Prior to March 2020, most municipal council and school board meetings were only viewed in-person. The need to socially distance but maintain good working government meant using modern business tools like Zoom and live-streaming to provide access. Municipalities in Ontario received modernization funds which helped facilitate this online expansion.
Nearly all municipalities live-stream council meetings, and that expanded to committee meetings, police board meetings, and, in the case of SDG Counties, shared services meetings. Increased access, in theory, results in improved citizen engagement. Recently, a trend of regression has begun that should be stopped in its tracks.
Township of South Glengarry council voted in October to end its live-streaming of council meetings. That township does not have permanent council chambers, and its staff said that the logistics of live-streaming was cumbersome. The Cornwall Seaway News reported that Councillor Sam McDonell said that if residents were concerned about an issue, they could attend meetings in-person. A backwards view.
SDG Counties council held a rare Saturday meeting on November 2. The meeting covered shared services and social services and included presentations from the City of Cornwall, the United Way of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, and the Social Development Council of Cornwall and Area. A facilitator led a council discussion about social services funding – which has a large impact on the budget. This meeting was not live-streamed, and while open to the public, to our knowledge, no media attended. It is interesting to note that while there were some paid SDG Counties and City of Cornwall staff in attendance, and a facilitator, but there was no one to record or stream the meeting.
The upcoming 2025 budget deliberations are already projecting a 2.25 per cent tax increase based on larger OPP services bills. It is disappointing that the meeting was not available to the public in a meaningful way. There were no recordings, no streams, and the minutes that are available, are vague at best. This trend has been growing at other councils outside of SDG Counties too.
This is not to suggest anything nefarious was said or done at these meetings; however, critical details and conversations that have – until now – rightly been part of the public record, now are not. Government – regardless of the level – represents you. Municipal government covers the most basic and immediate services that you see on a day-to-day basis. To limit access and limit your ability to see what is happening, and how or why decisions are being made is a step backwards for municipal governance.