Transparency and citizen participation

Transparency isn’t just a value, it’s a way of governing. For me, it begins with listening, humility, and dialogue, even when the conversations are difficult. And in today’s municipal climate everywhere, these conversations are more necessary than ever, even if they aren’t always easy to have. I would add that governing with integrity also means accepting criticism and learning from it.

I know that some residents have felt I could communicate more openly or listen more closely. To those who have expressed that, I want you to know that I hear you. I take full responsibility for what may have, to some, felt like being closed off or overly cautious.

Public life today is often noisy, emotional, and demanding. In that context, staying respectful and focused isn’t always easy. At times, I’ve had to make difficult decisions in council to keep discussions constructive and to maintain a healthy working environment for municipal staff. 

Being a mayor today means learning to govern in the open, explaining your choices, recognizing when you can do better, and building trust through transparency. It’s not always comfortable, but it’s essential to strengthen the bond between the municipality and its citizens.

Our municipality has made important strides to make local governance more open, accessible, and connected to residents:

• Coffees with the Mayor — informal conversations for direct dialogue with residents
• Live streaming and recording of council meetings
• Council meeting summaries published on the municipal website
• Cocoriko online platform for public consultations
• General and sector-based public consultations
• Full resolutions published four days before each council meeting
• Public portion of the Advisory Committee on Urban Planning and Sustainable Development
• Council Highlights and Fireside Chat video updates

I’m evolving my approach to respond clearly to these expectations:

• Better advance communication on key projects and development files
• More information ahead of council meetings
• More regular budget updates

To go further, here are the concrete commitments I’m putting in place:

• An Action Plan on Transparency and Citizen Communication
• Community Roundtables — open, facilitated conversations where residents can share perspectives directly in a respectful, solutions-focused way.
• A follow-up meeting with the ministry to ensure alignment and monitor progress
• Systematic inclusion of development projects on the CCUDD agenda
• A written Mayor’s Message after every council meeting
• Semi-annual budget updates
• Public release of finalized reports and studies

Too often, leaders fear that openness and humility will be seen as weakness. I see it differently. True accountability isn’t about never changing course or pretending every decision is perfect; it’s about showing your work in the open, explaining your choices, and improving continuously with citizens, not behind closed doors. We won’t always reach perfection, but we can always keep improving. Together.