Winnipeg, MB - Mayor Brian Bowman issued the following statement today:
“Earlier today, Executive Policy Committee reviewed and approved recommendations from the Public Service establishing a process for evaluating City of Winnipeg statutory officers.
As part of their recommendations, the Public Service recommended that bylaw amendments be made to allow Council to meet in camera.
The intent of allowing Council to meet in camera was to allow performance reviews of the City Auditor, the only statutory officer who reports to Council, to be undertaken in an in camera setting.
I support the need for an individual’s performance review to be discussed in camera.
My intent, and the intent of Executive Policy Committee, was always to limit the authority of Council to go in camera for the purposes of undertaking performance reviews of the City Auditor.
However, upon further review of the bylaw proposed by the Public Service and questions raised, I feel the in camera authority recommended by the Public Service is too broad and went beyond the original intent of Executive Policy Committee and requires an amendment.
After discussion with my Executive Policy Committee colleagues, an amendment will be proposed to the bylaw recommended by the Public Service to require that Council’s authority to go in camera be restricted to matters relating to the performance review of the City Auditor.”