Why This Matters:
Local government has some of the greatest impact on our daily lives, and is a level of government where we, the residents, can have the most impact. Yet many in our community feel removed and disconnected from local politics, and the diversity of our community is not represented in the faces we see at City Hall.
Our elected officials should represent all constituents – not just those who already hold power and have their voices heard.
Residents need to see increased accessibility, accountability, and transparency at City Hall.
Our elected officials should represent all constituents – not just those who already hold power and have their voices heard.
Residents need to see increased accessibility, accountability, and transparency at City Hall.
Did You Know…?
- Voter turnout in Simcoe County ranged from as low as 38.9% (York Simcoe) to a high point of 45.4% (Simcoe North) illustrating an overall low level of engagement in the most recent Provincial Election.
What You Can Do As A Municipal Leader:
- Effectively engage with residents, in keeping with the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum , which addresses barriers to public engagement and allows meaningful public participation. Engage Barrie also has a position paper on best practices for community engagement. Such engagement could include:
- Regular town halls
- Regular surveys
- Participatory budgeting
- Engage community residents and leaders in meaningful consultations about local challenges and solutions, addressing unique needs in rural and urban communities
- Review Unlock Democracy Canada’s “Municipal Democracy Index” to learn about key indicators that could be addressed by your council
- Ensure your council meetings are live streamed, recorded and stored online for all residents to access at their convenience
- Ask the Provincial government to reinstate the option for municipalities to use Ranked Ballots for municipal elections which has been proven to increase diversity and gender equity on Council
- Support MPP Stephen Blais’s proposed “Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act” (increasing accountability at City Hall)
- Initiate programs to make it easier for more people to participate in local government (e.g., offering childcare during Council & Committee meetings, using “plain, simple language” descriptions of issues coming before Council, making it easy to find information on contacting the Integrity Commissioner, etc.)
- Record and make public all votes taken in Council (such as Toronto’s searchable reporting at http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/getAdminReport.do?function=prepareMemberVoteReport) to increase transparency and accountability.
Local Organizations That Can Help:
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