THE CONTINUING CONTROVERSY over Orangeville councillors' decision to give themselves big pay raises mid-way through their current four-year term has raised many questions, not the least of which is when is it appropriate for councils to go in camera, behind closed doors.

In this case, any real debate as to the need for the increased "honouraria" and the timing apparently took place during a more general discussion of salary policies.

Our understanding is that before the closeddoor session to discuss a consultant's recommendations council had advice that it would be inappropriate to discuss the matter in public.

Whatever the case, it appears that the bylaw approving the new pay scales was drafted by staff, ultimately discussed and approved by council sitting privately as Committee of the Whole, and then quickly approved when the councillors resumed an interrupted public session, with few if any members of the general public present.

Whatever else might be said about the process, it clearly was not the only one possible.

Clearly, one procedure that could have been followed was to ask the consultant to produce a public version of the report comparing the local stipends and staff salaries with those in some other cities and towns Orangeville's size.

That report could have been released and made available for members of the public, including the media, and followed by a public debate on the report's merits and ultimately a bylaw that would benefit from the public input.

However, our suspicion is that such a procedure would have led to almost as much controversy as is now being witnessed, and undoubtedly would have prompted demands that any major increases in remuneration should take effect following the November 2010 elections.

Instead, we now have a petition being circulated demanding a special public meeting over the wage increases which already has more than 600 signatures. And meanwhile, a complaint has been sent to the Ontario government regarding council's private meetings, which the unidentified complainant says may contravene the Ontario Municipal Act.

It all makes you wonder whatever happened to the idea that all public bodies should be transparent and accountable to their electors.