🔍Transparency & Accountable Leadership

Many residents feel disconnected from Town and District government. That needs to change.

People should not have to watch hours of meetings, read through lengthy agendas, or search for answers after decisions have already been made. They should be able to understand what is happening, why it matters, and how to ask questions while there is still time to be heard.

I do not want to simply promise greater transparency. I want to show residents a practical plan to make government more open, more accountable, and easier to follow.

What I Would Do Differently

1. 1

   🎥Video updates after key meetings

   After each monthly Council, General Committee, and Planning meeting, I would provide a short video update explaining what was on the agenda, what was decided, and what residents may want to pay attention to next.

   This would give residents a timely, plain-language way to understand what happened and raise questions while the information is still current. See my video updates →

2. 2

   🎧30-minute podcast summaries

   Council meetings can run for hours. Most people do not have the time to watch every meeting from beginning to end.

   I would create digestible 30-minute podcast summaries of longer meetings so residents can stay informed while driving to work, walking the dog, or going about their day.

   If something in the summary raises a question or concern, residents could then watch the full meeting or reach out to the mayor or a member of Council for more information.

3. 3

   🗣️More direct ways to be heard

   I would create more opportunities for residents to speak directly with Town leadership and provide input before major decisions are made.

   That includes regular town-hall-style gatherings with the mayor, the CAO, and participating members of Council, as well as a Residents’ Advisory Panel made up of a broad cross-section of our community, including both year-round and seasonal residents.

   At the District level, I would advocate for the same commitment to openness, accessibility, and meaningful public involvement.

A Record of Speaking Up

I have already shown that I am willing to push for more openness, even when doing so is difficult.

• When an item concerning the River Mill Park washrooms was being considered for closed session, I questioned whether that discussion belonged outside public view.
• At the District level, I have also pushed for more complete information to be released around major proposals, including the proposed robotic housing factory. Residents should not be asked to respond to significant projects without first having clear information about what is being proposed, what it may cost, what risks are involved, and what alternatives have been considered.
• I also called for a pause in further spending and staff time until the public was given more of the information needed to understand the proposal, its risks, and its potential impact on taxpayers.
• The District currently removes meeting recordings from its website after six months, while Huntsville’s remain available for years. I have asked why and will bring forward an initiative to change this. At both levels of government, residents should be able to access past meetings, discussions and decisions that affect them.

Public input only works when people have the information they need to make an informed judgment.

Accountability Means Being Clear

Accountability means explaining decisions, listening when people disagree, acknowledging mistakes, and being clear about where I stand.

Residents should not have to guess why a decision was made, what alternatives were considered, or whether public input made a difference.

Trust is earned when people can see what is happening and know their voice has a real place in the process.