ERIN 鈥� Erin Mayor Allan Alls said he feels it was unfair for the town to be named as the most secretive municipal government in Canada.聽
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 鈥淥utstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy鈥� in four categories. Erin was named as this year鈥檚 winner in the municipal government category.
Alls was on vacation in Florida when he first heard the news.
鈥淚 was immediately upset because this town doesn鈥檛 deserve that, it really doesn鈥檛,鈥� he said.聽
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.聽
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.聽
鈥淚f somebody could tell me how to be more transparent and still do the job, I鈥檇 love to know how,鈥� he said.聽
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.
鈥淥ur clerk at the time took the defence that she didn鈥檛 want to let out those numbers because it would have applied to an individual,鈥� Alls said.聽
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鈥檛 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.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to own up to something, you better damn well be right what you鈥檙e owning up to,鈥� Alls said.聽
Alls said he would have liked a chance to defend his town before being given this title.
鈥淚 just feel it was bad journalism on the part of the group that made that report,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 bother to come talk to us and ask 鈥榃hat鈥檚 your side of the story?鈥欌�澛�
James Turk, CFE director, said there was no reason to talk to the town because the reason they were nominated was not disputable.聽
鈥淲e verify that the reasons for it were legitimate, there was nothing to inform him about,鈥� Turk said. 鈥淭hey certainly made it hard for providing access to information and that鈥檚 why they received the award.鈥�
Turk said this isn鈥檛 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 C么te-Saint-Luc, Que. were given honourable mentions because of similar reasons.聽
鈥淭he purpose of it though is primarily just to draw attention to the difficulties of access to information,鈥� Turk said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e 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.鈥�
Alls said staff feel dismayed by this but still values the press鈥檚 role in democracy. All he can do is live with the reality of it.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 wearing it and I have to wear it, I鈥檓 the mayor,鈥� he said.聽
Keegan Kozolanka, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, GuelphToday.com
