This report has been superseded: see our list of good practice guides for more recent publications

701
The circumstances in which a local authority may decide to communicate its members’ personal views at its expense are for the authority to determine. In making the decision, however, the authority should be:

• careful to treat all members equally, and avoid the appearance of selective opportunity for the promotion of any particular member’s views; and
• bear in mind its obligation always to act reasonably and responsibly and within the scope of its functions, duties and powers (paragraph 203).

702
How members’ personal views are communicated is also for the local authority to determine. An appropriate method could be to allot space in a periodic newsletter which otherwise conveys information about the authority’s activities.

703
While a “members’ column” will of necessity be an avenue for personal expression, the fact that it is being published at public expense means that it should be subject to some prescription. Thus:

• The subjects dealt with should relate only to activities which the authority may lawfully pursue, or matters in which it may lawfully involve itself (refer paragraphs 401-403).
• The content may have the same coverage as listed in paragraph 501.
• The only applicable quality guideline is that what a member says should not be defamatory.
• The material a member submits for publication may for practical reasons need to be edited. Whether or not the material is edited, the member must formally subscribe to what will be published.
• A statement of a member’s personal views should be identified with the member’s name and position held (such as mayor, chairperson, member for [name] ward, member of [name] community board).
• The material should not incorporate the logo or slogan of a political party or other sectional grouping.

704
Sometimes, the mayor or chairperson is given a regular ‘column’ in a local authority newsletter for the purpose of giving voice to the authority’s corporate position on its activities. While that purpose may be quite acceptable, care should be taken to preclude from what is published any personal views, especially when other members of the authority are given no opportunity to express their personal view.

Elections and Other Sensitive Events

705
Sometimes a decision to communicate members’ personal views at authority expense should be taken with the added consideration of how the material might be viewed in the context of other events. A clear example is the triennial election of members and the period preceding it (see footnote 4 on page 7).

706
Promoting the re-election prospects of sitting members, directly or indirectly, wittingly or unwittingly, is not among the recognised functions of a local authority. Sometimes, the perception that ratepayers’ money is being used to promote some people’s re-election prospects is created by the newspaper style of presentation in local authority newsletters and other community oriented publications – including (in some cases) the statutory annual report.

707
Curtailing all such forms of communication during ‘sensitive’ periods would not normally be warranted (and would be illegal in the case of the annual report). Nevertheless, what is warranted is adoption of a manner of presentation of information that avoids potential for the perception referred to in the previous paragraph. This need not result in communications that are anodyne and uninteresting. Indeed, it should be seen as a challenge to the professionalism and creativity of the local authority communicator.