Making Municipal Information Easier to Access

Fellow Residents,

As a resident and taxpayer, I want to know what is happening with my money.

If the municipality is rebuilding a road, replacing a watermain, working on a wastewater project, addressing drainage or undertaking a major capital project, residents should be able to easily find out what is happening, why it is happening, what it will cost and when it is expected to be completed.

Right now, information may technically be available, but that doesn't mean it is easy for residents to find or understand. I believe we need to change that.

We need to make municipal information more accessible, straightforward and useful. Residents shouldn't have to understand how municipal government works, search through council agendas or figure out which department is responsible just to get an answer about a project happening in their community.

Making information accessible

I want residents to have a simple way to see; What projects are planned or underway, Where they are happening, Why they are needed, What they are expected to cost, How they are being funded, When they are expected to start and finish, Where the project currently stands, Whether it is on budget and on schedule, And, when something changes, why it changed

That last point is particularly important.

Projects don't always go according to plan. Costs change. Priorities change. Unexpected problems arise. Sometimes projects are delayed. That's reality.

What residents shouldn't have to do is wonder why.

If a project is delayed, I want residents to be able to easily see that it has been delayed, understand the reason, and know what the new expectation is.

Smart 311 can help

In my plan I describe Smart 311 as an important tool in making municipal government easier to navigate.

But Smart 311 isn't simply about reporting potholes or submitting service requests. We should use technology to make it easier for residents to interact with their municipality and access information.

Residents shouldn't have to know which department to call or which staff member handles a particular issue.

The technology should help make government simpler, not make residents learn how government is organized.

Better information means better accountability

I'm not suggesting that every resident needs to agree with every municipal decision.

What I am saying is that residents should be able to understand those decisions, and have access to the information around the status of those projects.

When we are dealing with a significant infrastructure gap, we need to prioritize projects, establish a clear strategy and make sure we're getting the best outcomes from the money we invest.

We're not going to fix every infrastructure problem in four years. We need to be honest about that.

But we can do a better job of telling residents what we're doing, what we're spending, what comes next and why.

That's the kind of transparency I want to bring to municipal government. Whether you live in Chatham, Wallaceburg, Dresden, Ridgetown, Tilbury, Blenheim or any of our other communities, you should have the same easy access to information about the projects and services that affect you. Government information belongs to the public. We should make it easier for the public to find it.

— Randy Hope