From mock council to Finance 101: New city councillors get schooled on the rules
Scott Dippel | CBC News | Posted: October 25, 2017 11:30 AM | Last Updated: October 25, 2017
Members get the chance to learn everything from the various city departments to how to draft a motion
City councillors elected a decade ago got very little training before their first council meeting — they'd be briefed by the city solicitor and handed a copy of the procedure bylaw.
That's changed dramatically. The new councillors sworn in this week will be schooled for two weeks on everything from how city departments work to Finance 101.
Last summer, council approved a more detailed orientation program for the new members of council.
The program includes an overview of each city department, briefings from the ethics advisor, the integrity commissioner, the city solicitor and the city auditor, and media training.
There will also be mock city council meeting, a public hearing and council committee meetings so the elected officials get some hands-on experience with the processes before actual meetings start.
The sessions got underway on Tuesday for the four new members of council elected on Oct. 16: Jyoti Gondek, George Chahal, Jeff Davison and Jeromy Farkas.
'You practice before you play the games'
Davison said he likes what the program has to offer.
"I think the program is really designed to help folks like me hit the ground running," said Davison. "If you want to be effective as a councillor, there's a lot of procedural things you even need to know ... including how to make a motion."
Chahal said he's looking forward to seeing how the mock council meeting goes.
"You practise before you play the games, so I think it will be important to see how the policies and procedures of city council, how it's operated," said Chahal.
"I think it'll be a good learning experience for sure."
The spartan past
It's a change from how things worked for city council in the past. And we're not talking ancient history either.
Former councillor Brian Pincott was first elected a decade ago. He recalls the orientation was a bit more Spartan back then.
Pincott said a couple of packages of documents were dropped off for councillors, even before they were officially sworn in. There were a few briefings on city departments, and then it was time for the first council meeting.
"It was unbelievably overwhelming and not much of an orientation," he said.
He's a supporter of a more thorough orientation program.
"The amount of time that has been allocated for that now and the more in-depth orientation is truly needed," said Pincott.
But in the next breath, he says no amount of preparation can truly help a newcomer get ready for the job.
The really spartan past
Pincott's orientation was actually detailed compared to former councillor Andre Chabot's experience.
He was first elected in a byelection in 2005.
Chabot recalls things happened quickly. Very quickly.
"I was given the keys to my office the day after I got elected," said Chabot.
"Essentially, I had a meeting with the city solicitor, the city clerk and the mayor. That was it for my orientation."
Aside from next Monday's organizational day, when the city council determines who will be sitting on various committees, the orientation sessions will be held every day for the next two weeks.
The process culminates with a Finance 101 session on Nov. 14.
That happens just in time for council to begin deliberations on Nov. 27 on the final adjustments to the city's 2018 budget.