Starting next year, Calgarians could gain greater insight into how often and for how long city councillors deliberate behind closed doors. A notice of motion filed by Mayor Jeromy Farkas and Ward 14 Coun. Landon Johnston calls for an annual summary of council members’ in-camera discussions to be included in the chief administrative officer’s first quarterly report to council each year.
Proposal details
The motion, scheduled for a vote at the June 30 regular council meeting, directs the summary to cover all council and committee closed sessions from the previous calendar year. It would identify the date, the meeting body, the legal reason given for closing the meeting, and the title of the discussion. According to Farkas, the goal is to demystify the time spent behind closed doors and provide a clear paper trail for Calgarians to hold their elected officials accountable.
“This is all about demystifying the amount of time that’s being spent behind closed doors and giving a paper trail for Calgarians, so that ultimately they can hold us to account,” Farkas told reporters.
Legal framework for in-camera sessions
In-camera discussions occur when council or committees discuss confidential business away from the public eye. The Municipal Government Act (MGA) permits closed sessions if the matter falls under exceptions to disclosure outlined in the Access to Information Act. Common reasons include protecting third-party business interests, safeguarding personal privacy, or avoiding disruption of law enforcement. Other justifications include intergovernmental business, land transactions, or personnel issues.
The MGA and council’s procedure bylaw already require council to formally state, on the public record, the specific legal exemption justifying a move in-camera, with that statement included in meeting minutes. However, Farkas argued that existing record-keeping, such as the city clerk’s confidential release tracker, is not as accessible as a consolidated public report.
Transparency push
Farkas, who campaigned for mayor on reducing in-camera meeting time, emphasized that while legitimate reasons for confidential discussions exist, the public deserves more transparency. “It’s so important for us to have objective information about how much time is being spent behind closed doors and what topics are being discussed,” he said. The proposed report would cover all closed sessions from the previous calendar year, including committee meetings.
Currently, no mechanism requires the city to publish a consolidated annual accounting of council’s closed-session activity, leaving Calgarians without a clear picture of frequency. The motion aims to change that by creating a routine public document.
Council will debate and vote on the motion at its June 30 meeting. If approved, the first annual report would be delivered in the first quarter of 2027, covering 2026 activities.
