By Carolyn Côté
Former candidates from last November’s municipal election have created a watchdog group to monitor city councillors’ activities.
Eye on Ottawa will track the voting patterns, spending habits, and attendance records of city council members. It will also act as a mediator for residents who have complaints about city hall.
Luc Lapointe, the group’s interim chairperson, says Eye on Ottawa will provide a much-needed information exchange.
“There’s no opposition [party] here at city council,” says Lapointe. “The mayor’s doing his thing, the councillors are doing their things, and the public is wondering about services and why their taxes are going up.”
Lapointe, who ran in the Somerset ward, says the group plans to post information in a searchable database at www.eyeonottawa.ca.
Blake Batson, a former River ward candidate, says this will allow residents to see how councillors vote on important issues. Previously, he says, the only way to see how a councillor voted was to take on the time-consuming task of looking through the minutes of every meeting the councillor attended.
Lapointe says the website will also have a feature called “smart vote,” where constituents have input into how they want their councillor to vote on upcoming issues.
Although Eye on Ottawa’s members ran for the positions they are now monitoring, they say the group is about accountability, not sour grapes.
“Because we’re all ex-candidates people are going to say, ‘Oh, they’re just doing it because they lost,’” says Batson.
“It’s not about the fact that we lost. It’s about the fact there’s a lack of information.”
Catherine Gardner, a former Barrhaven ward candidate, says for most members, their experience in the election was positive because it made them interested in city council.
“It was a big education for a lot of us,” she says. “It also got us more involved.”
Batson and Gardner say they want their former opponents to support Eye on Ottawa.
“If you are a councillor and want the best for your ward, you should be interested in this,” says Batson.
Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes, says she is in favour of the group. She adds that she has repeatedly asked city council to keep residents better informed.
“I think that any kind of public discussion about what council is doing is a good thing.”
Gardner says Eye on Ottawa will also lobby the Ontario government for electoral reform.
Unlike the federal and provincial governments, City Hall remains open for business during the election period. Gardner says this gives incumbents a higher profile, since they are still carrying out their normal duties, in addition to campaigning.
Clive Doucet, Capital ward councillor, says he would support this reform, because incumbents would benefit as well.
“I think that would be a great idea,” he says. “It’s hard to do business and campaign at the same time.”
Lapointe says Eye on Ottawa hopes residents will take part in the group. The group will be holding a public meeting on Feb. 13 at a location yet to be determined. In the meantime, they’re asking the public to voice what issues they want monitored through a survey on the website.
The group is not about criticizing city hall, Lapointe says, but about providing a venue to exchange information.
“At the end of the day, you will have a more informed citizen.” Lapointe says.