ERIN – Erin Mayor Allan Alls said he feels it was unfair for the town to be named as the most secretive municipal government in Canada.
The Canadian Association of Journalists, the Centre for Free Expression (CFE) at Ryerson University, News Media Canada and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression decide on a winner for “Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy” in four categories. Erin was named as this year’s winner in the municipal government category.
Alls was on vacation in Florida when he first heard the news.
“I was immediately upset because this town doesn’t deserve that, it really doesn’t,” he said.
A press release from CFE said the Town of Erin was awarded because it is commonplace for staff to refuse to be transparent, avoid interviews and did not inform the media of meetings where major decisions were made.
Alls disagrees that Erin is not transparent and noted that all their meetings are live streamed. He also said they only go into closed meetings when required to do so under the municipal act.
“If somebody could tell me how to be more transparent and still do the job, I’d love to know how,” he said.
After a number of senior staff and department heads were fired, the Wellington Advertiser filed a freedom of information request for details of severance pay. The town refused the request.
“Our clerk at the time took the defence that she didn’t want to let out those numbers because it would have applied to an individual,” Alls said.
This case eventually went to the privacy commissioner and in the meantime the town got their own legal advice and were told they were in the right. The privacy commissioner disagreed.
Staff had trouble filling the request promptly after the ruling because they weren’t digitized at the time and had a pile of documents in a basement to deal with. Alls said they also wanted to be sure they gave the right information.
“If you’re going to own up to something, you better damn well be right what you’re owning up to,” Alls said.
Alls said he would have liked a chance to defend his town before being given this title.
“I just feel it was bad journalism on the part of the group that made that report,” he said. “They didn’t bother to come talk to us and ask ‘What’s your side of the story?’”
James Turk, CFE director, said there was no reason to talk to the town because the reason they were nominated was not disputable.
“We verify that the reasons for it were legitimate, there was nothing to inform him about,” Turk said. “They certainly made it hard for providing access to information and that’s why they received the award.”
Turk said this isn’t meant to sanction a particular town but to push for greater transparency in Canada. He noted North Bay, Cornwall, Morinville, Alta., Cranbrook, B.C. and Côte-Saint-Luc, Que. were given honourable mentions because of similar reasons.
“The purpose of it though is primarily just to draw attention to the difficulties of access to information,” Turk said. “We’re hoping in the case of towns that it will cause a discussion in the community and encourage the municipality to be more open in dealing with the media and the public.”
Alls said staff feel dismayed by this but still values the press’s role in democracy. All he can do is live with the reality of it.
“I’m wearing it and I have to wear it, I’m the mayor,” he said.
