Information about what’s happening at city council is often confusing and full of jargon.

The City of Edmonton recently received an “F” on the transparency of our budgeting by the C.D. Howe Institute, only one of two Canadian cities to score that low.

When only the well-connected know what’s happening at City Hall, they have more influence than the rest of us.

This leads to the situation we have now, where decisions are often made for the benefit of developers and the wealthiest in our city, instead of for regular families.

Our everyday lives are impacted by decisions about zoning changes, neighbourhood redevelopment and service changes, so we need action to ensure that we can easily find the information we need and that it is written in plain language rather than in jargons and acronyms.

Cori will prioritize:

• A plain language policy for City documents, on everything from zoning notices to council initiatives, including a list of regularly-used acronyms. Policy can be complex, but good leaders need to be able to explain it clearly
• Changes to improve the City budget’s transparency, including action to address issues raised in the C.D. Howe report, including improving the information available about the budget process to give everyone a chance to participate in and understand the city’s budget
• Action to open up city government to more people. This includes:

  • Working on council’s schedule to make attendance easier for regular people, including evening and weekend meetings on specific subjects. Opportunities to speak to council are scheduled in the middle of many people’s workday. Council agendas frequently change at the last minute, frustrating people who have taken time off work or booked child care to speak to an issue

  • Advocating for stipends for those who need them to attend meetings

  • Allowing for pre-recorded video submissions

  • Keeping some city engagement virtual to make it easier for people to attend

As your councillor, Cori is committed to being accessible and a part of your community. This includes:

• Holding regular open public events, being accessible to meet with residents and meeting regularly with leaders in the ward
• Attending neighbourhood events and visit neighbourhoods regularly to stay connected to what families are facing