7 days after secret vote on religious symbols, Moncton offers glimpse into decision-making

A week after casting votes in secret, Moncton council publicly reversed course on displaying religious symbols outside city hall and offered hints at how the decision unfolded.

The unanimous vote Monday will see the return of a large nativity scene and menorah after national and international media headlines were initially met with silence from city hall.

More than 6,000 people signed a petition calling for a reversal. Social media comments suggested boycotting the city. Federal cabinet ministers were critical of the decision. 

As they revisited the decision in public Monday, the secrecy was questioned by both the public and councillors. 

"We also believe that these decisions are to be made in the public forum, not behind closed doors," Shawn Annis, a pastor with Faith Christian Fellowship in Moncton, said.

In New Brunswick, the Local Governance Act restricts private, or in-camera, meetings to a few topics generally summed up as land, legal and labour matters. 

Some New Brunswick communities disclose what sections of the law are used to keep the discussion secret. Fundy Albert's council met Nov. 27 to discuss "labour and employment matters," its agenda says.

It's not a detail that Moncton provides. Coun. Charles Léger said Monday that it's something that should change.

Moncton has regularly scheduled private meetings on the second Monday of each month. Decisions are supposed to be ratified in a public meeting, resulting in a public record of how councillors voted. 

But that didn't happen for the Nov. 27 vote on religious symbols. 

Instead, the decision became known through a news release Friday from members of the Jewish community after a meeting with the city's mayor.

Several councillors have since questioned the decision taking place in private.

"An important decision such as this should be made in public," Coun. Dave Steeves wrote on Facebook, saying he didn't support the outcome.

Because the Nov. 27 decision happened in private, and was never ratified, the vote tally remains unclear. 

Mayor Dawn Arnold revealed to reporters Monday she supported the original decision but said based on more information she had changed her view.

In speeches and interviews, several council members pointed the finger at city staff and themselves.

Arnold told reporters that Nov. 27 decision was in part driven by the municipality's equity, diversity and inclusion policy, its social inclusion plan, and conversations with New Brunswick's former commissioner on systemic racism. 

Coun. Daniel Bourgeois said they made a "knee jerk reaction to a situation that had unfolded too rapidly" after council received an email from staff Nov. 21 that led to the private meeting Nov. 27.

"Staff, with the best of intentions, were heading down a road where we sort of said, 'Wait a minute, that's too sensitive, we gotta bring it to council, it's a political decision.'"

He said there was legal advice given by staff, so it was held in private. Arnold also said the discussion included legal advice.

Bourgeois said he expected during the initial discussion their decision would be ratified, but suggested why it ultimately wasn't. 

"Staff told us — and I don't want to divulge too many details because we're not supposed to — but staff was really clear that it didn't have to become public, it's not compulsory to adopt a directive to staff in public," he said.

He apologized for not handling the issue better. 

"Maybe we wouldn't be here tonight with all of the consequences if I had done my job properly," Bourgeois said. 

Coun. Bryan Butler told reporters they need to be better at handling what happens behind closed doors. 

"People have a right to know," Butler said. "That's why we're here. People like us, they don't elect us going behind closed doors."

Asked about the secrecy, Arnold said, "we will do better next time."

The plaza and adjacent park where the menorah and nativity scene were previously displayed have been the site of rallies in the weeks following the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel.

Elected officials didn't say Monday whether those gatherings affected their original decision.

However, one person who spoke Monday and had taken part in a meeting with city officials last week alluded to concerns about vandalism.

"I know where you are concerned that if the menorah was to be vandalized, the City of Moncton would suffer embarrassment in the eyes of many people, both locally and individuals from other parts of the country," Irwin Lampert said. 

"But no one would hold the City of Moncton responsible. Quite the contrary. The city should be credited for showing strength and leadership in the eyes of potential intimidation."