The reluctance of some councilors to embrace more transparency and oversight regarding Rothesay’s spending practises is leading more residents to ask, “what are they afraid of?”

The current controversy is not going away anytime soon as multiple letters to the editor, an editorial in the Telegraph Journal followed by a commentary from a former Mayor are provoking more, not less, public interest in the issue of transparency at the Town Hall.

Rothesay Council adopted a code of ethics when it adopted a new Procedural Bylaw last year. Councillor MacDonald’s proposal to obtain outside expertise to look at the Town’s financial and procurement practises is definitely aligned with the purpose of that code.

Councillor MacDonald’s investigation should take a good look at how closely the Town, including Council, follows its Code of Ethics. Within the Code are recommended best practises that, if followed properly, would ensure that the public is being fully informed on how Council and staff are making decisions and on what they are spending taxpayers hard earned cash.

If this issue remains alive until May 9th, which I believe it will, it will clearly be a ballot box question. I expect that we will hear more about transparency and this council’s record on the subject throughout the campaign.

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