‘issue of importance’

“We call a recorded vote when it is an issue of importance for us,” Mr. Shore said. “We were elected to be accountable. And people judge us in part by our voting record.”

Relatively new technology in council chambers allows councillors to vote yay or nay on a computer pad in front of them when a recorded vote is called.

There are a number of items to iron out prior to recording each and every vote taken during council meetings, including whether or not the current voting system can be used to record every vote taken.

There are also procedural requests, such as adjourning or extending a meeting, receiving a presentation or deputation, proclamations and temporary bylaws for parking restrictions or street closures.

“Now, we ask to have a recorded vote,” Regional Councillor Jim Jones said. “What we should be asking, is if there are things that don’t need a recorded vote.”

Currently, after the councillor voting period closes, the results are read aloud by the clerk.

If each item is given a voting period and read aloud, it could delay proceedings, the city’s corporate services commissioner Trinela Cane said.

“This is a logical next step,” she said. “This is a great step to take, but we don’t want to cause undue delays in a council meeting.”

Mr. Shore also wants to see the existing technology used for recorded votes to be used for voting on all issues starting Nov. 1 as a trial.

The other idea is to have a searchable database of voting records where residents can search by date, keyword, councillor name and topic, Mr. Shore added.

The city is in the process of doing away with paper agendas and establishing an e-agenda system where councillors can read and make notes on an agenda and its reports using a tablet.

A searchable voting record database would have to be compatible with the e-agenda system.

City staff are expected to bring a report back to general committee in October, outlining logistics and costs of implementing a recorded vote system.