The city council administration has been urged to show “openness and transparency” after the press and public were barred from debates on more than ten issues.
More than a third of the agenda issues at the most recent finance committee – 11 of 30 – were set as private papers, meaning only councillors and civil servants were allowed to remain.
Among the debates taxpayers and the Press and Journal were excluded from was on plans for a site investigation at Union Terrace Gardens ahead of massive £20million works due to be carried out on the sunken park this year.
It is understood the paper on UTG agrees to work being undertaken to establish the foundations of the gardens, a necessary move to inform any future contracts.
Others were the proposed sale of the Gospel Hall under a Community Asset Transfer, and the ability to delay the purchase of outdoor play equipment.
Opposition finance spokesperson, Alex Nicoll said that the Conservative, Aberdeen Labour and independent administration must be more accountable to the public.
He said: “We need to avoid our council being seen as overly secretive and make sure that we allow the public to have an oversight of what we discuss in the Town House.
“The previous finance convener, former councillor Young, may have had many problems but being transparent and standing up to scrutiny was never one of them.
“The public have a right to know and have great interests in such subjects as Union Terrace Gardens, our play parks and a community asset transfer.
“I hope that this will not set a precedent and that we will not have a council shrouded in secrecy for the next five years.”
Liberal Democrat committee member Steve Delaney said: “Given that it’s a new administration and a new convener I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt. But if this is a trend then it would be completely unacceptable.”
Finance convener Douglas Lumsden said the papers were marked as “commercially sensitive” by officers.
“It’s telling that although Councillor Nicoll has had the papers for a week he only chose to raise this issue with a media presence instead of raising these concerns with the Convener beforehand.
“Transparency and openness with the public are a priority for the council and we will ensure officers continuously review the classification of papers to see where possible they can be heard in public.”
