THE REPORT ORANGEVILLE COUNCIL received this week from Torontobased Amberly Gavel Ltd. is one that should provide a wake-up call for all municipal councils.

As we had expected, the report confirmed that a since-rescinded bylaw providing for huge increases in council honoraria was legal but that the process followed by Council was not in compliance with a key provision in the Ontario Municipal Act (OMA) dealing with municipal councils' need to be transparent and accountable.

The flawed process saw councillors retreat behind closed doors to discuss the bylaw, which was then passed with the doors open but the public (media included) absent, because the meeting's agenda made no mention of the bylaw in question.

As we understand it, the same process had been used by council on at least several previous occasions, some of which were undoubtedly before Section 239 of the OMA was in its present form.

"By adding the remuneration bylaw to the agenda after the closed meeting session, and by not advising those members of the public of council's intent to introduce the bylaw, council followed a process that lacked transparency," the report said, recommending that the town's procedures bylaw be amended to require public notification of a council remuneration bylaw. "This should allow for public participation in the process."