City Public Accounts and Council meeting packages going online

Councillor Darcy Zaharia wants residents to have access to more information regarding what happens at regular meetings of Council.  

So, at the regular meeting Monday Zaharia made a motion to have the City’s Public accounts and Council Meeting packages put on the City’s website.  

Zaharia began his comments on his motion by stating in looking at 13 Saskatchewan city websites “all but two had their public accounts online.  

“I can’t see why the City of Yorkton can’t do that.”  

For those unfamiliar public accounts are a listing of city accounts, and includes staff salaries in excess of $50,000 annually. The accounts are presented to Council annually.  

As it stood in Yorkton the accounts have always been available to residents for a fee, which Ashley Stradeski, Director of Finance with the City explained was simply “a cost recovery fee” associated with printing the material.  

In terms of Council packages, Zaharia noted that at present the agenda for meetings is all that is posted, adding “that don’t give a lot of the information.”  

Zaharia said if the full package was posted it would give residents more information in matters in Council and with more information they would be able to ask “better informed questions.”  

While Council was generally favourable to the idea there were concerns regarding the timing.  

City Manager Lonnie Kaal noted that Council materials shouldn’t be made public until after they are officially entered into record at a Council meeting.  

After a friendly amendment by Zaharia -- to put public accounts and meeting packages online, but only after they are presented in a meeting -- the motion passed.