More transparency wouldn't hurt.
A motion put forward by North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas aimed at giving the public information around campaign donations and private meetings that council members have with developers seems eminently sensible.
We live in a time when elected officials are struggling to gain and maintain the trust of the people who vote for them. There are a huge number of high-stakes developments proposed for the municipality in the coming days, months and years. Residents want to know that council members are making decisions that are in the best interests of the community as a whole.
Behind the scenes meetings with developers and their proponents take place all the time. There is not necessarily anything nefarious about it. Some want to take the temperature of council before investing in taking a proposal further. Some may want advice on how they may be able to move something forward. Development in the municipality is not an adversarial process, it is a cooperative venture between the builders and the government. Communication is key to making that relationship the most productive it can be for both parties. It would be silly to say that these two groups of people can't talk to each other outside of official channels.
But clearly some constituents have concerns about the possibility of outsized influence. What could it hurt for councillors to let people know when this stuff takes place? It may be a bit inconvenient for them to fill out a form, or send an email noting the meeting, but it seems an insignificant price to pay for increasing the trust of voters in their government and its officials.
In the same vein, since campaign contributions must already be reported to the province, then it shouldn't be a big deal for members of council to note when something before council is being brought forward by someone who supported them. This is municipal politics, it's unlikely anyone has a list of thousands of donors. Any recusal from the table would still be at the councillor's discretion, and it's correct of course that just because somebody made a donation doesn't mean they'll get preferential treatment. Campaign contributions are not bribes. People, including developers, are allowed to support the politicians who represent their point of view and will advocate for those shared beliefs.
While it's just North Cowichan that's looking at this issue right now in the Cowichan Valley, other local governments should take note. The City of Duncan, Town of Ladysmith, Town of Lake Cowichan and the Cowichan Valley Regional District would do well to get out in front of it and put this on their own future agendas, because it seems likely public interest is only going to increase in the future.
We should do everything we can to make our governments institutions in which we can place our trust.
