Just Who is Running the Fraser Coast Regional Council?
Jim MacKellar asks the question but will we ever get a straight answer?
From a snippet in the local paper this week about the FCRC portfolio committees – “each committee will meet on a three-month basis instead of monthly’.
This means that Council now meets for 3 to 4 hours each month, the Planning & Development Committee for 2 hours a month and all other standing committees only each quarter.
Binding decisions can only be made by resolution of a formal meeting of Council or one of its standing committees. So we must ask ‘who is making the decisions’?
A review of meeting agendas reveals that Council is covering little more than the statutory requirements in its public meetings. If the Councillors are making the decisions then they are making them behind closed doors and not in the accountable arena of an open meeting. A majority of decisions made in private (secrecy) has no place in an open and transparent administration.
The only other credible scenario is that our Councillors have abrogated their responsibility and control of the FCRC is vested, almost completely, in the employed executive. If this is the case why do we have Councillors? Who is representing the residents?
It has to be asked – Who is running our Council?
