By Charlene Macaulay
Wyndham councillors will now have a more hands-on role in the annual community grants program after establishing a councillor-run evaluation panel.
Despite a previous suggestion for a panel being shot down at the October ordinary council meeting, seven out of the 11 councillors approved revised terms of reference following a divisive debate at a special council meeting last week.
According to the new terms of reference, the panel will be able to provide information and feedback to council officers for three annual grant streams – community strengthening, community health and community environment grants. This feedback will be taken into consideration when developing the final recommendation, which then goes before a council meeting for vote.
The initial panel will include mayor Peter Maynard as chair and councillors Mia Shaw, Heather Marcus, Josh Gilligan, Aaron An and Henry Barlow.
Cr Gilligan, who pushed for the panel, said the idea was to give councillors more awareness of, and engagement in, the annual $1.6 million community grants process.
Despite initially voting against the proposal, Cr Barlow lent his support to the panel and said he would use his position to ensure “that there is no pork barrelling”.
“I think that there are guidelines put into place here that that’s not going to happen on this council, that we will provide some feedback and then the council officers will get to work with the very good job that they’ve been doing over the last four years,” he said.
However, councillor Kim McAliney said she remained concerned about conflicts of interest.
“Despite all the good intentions, it’s my opinion it opens up undue influence – maybe not deliberate – on officers to go in particular directions given that we’re going to have six – more than half the councillors – on this panel,” she said.
“I personally don’t think that any councillor should sit on a grants panel, full stop.”
Fellow councillor Tony Hooper added: “I just think it’s creating complexity where we don’t need it.”
