Region of Waterloo councillor looks to increase transparency by recording all votes

When regional Coun. Kari Williams votes, she knows what she inputs into the system, but she often has no idea how her council colleagues have voted.

The electronic system used by regional council shows her only if the motion has passed or failed. The only way to know how people voted is to request a recorded vote — where councillors are asked one at a time how they would like to vote and they answer verbally — before the vote is taken.

It doesn't sit right with Williams.

"Our system is technically already recording it, we just don't post it anywhere. So I thought, the public has the right to see how we're voting," Williams told CBC News.

She says she has received calls or emails from people asking her how she voted on a particular issue.

"I always just tell them because I've spent a lot of time talking to the public. I've done my due diligence, I've read all the research, I've read the staff papers, and so like, I tried to make a really informed decision," Williams said.

It's why she's bringing forward a notice of motion Thursday morning to council's administration and finance committee meeting to record all of regional council's votes and that the results be in the corresponding minutes.

"I thought that would be a much better way for the public to be able to determine: are my councillors voting in the way that I would like them to as a constituent?" she said. "I thought that would be a little more transparent and people would appreciate the gesture, I think."

Williams' idea has already received support from at least one councillor. Coun. Rob Deutschmann has said on Twitter he is in favour of the motion.