At its General Committee meeting of October 28, and Council meeting of November 4, Peterborough City Council will consider recommendations from Mayor Jeff Leal for major changes to the structure of City government documented in this proposal.
The most important recommendations are that:
- two councillors be appointed as Portfolio Chairs to each of the City’s Departments
- the appointments of various Council members to Advisory Committees of Council be rescinded.
We are particularly concerned about the effect of having the appointments of Council members to Advisory Committees rescinded, particularly because it would remove Councillor Joy Lachica from the Peterborough Environmental Advisory Committee (PEAC) and substantially reduce her strong voice on the City’s environmental policies, including those on climate change.
The 4RG Political Action Committee urges you to call or email the councillors for your ward, and urge them to vote against Mayor Leal’s proposal. In expressing your opposition to the mayor’s proposal, you might make the following arguments. It would be most effective if you could make them in your own words rather than exactly as they are phrased here.
- Mayor Leal has argued that the role of councillors as members of Advisory Committees is “incompatible” with their role as members Council, which receives advice from the Advisory Committees. This argument may sound plausible, but in fact it is very weak. There is nothing incompatible in these roles. Federal and Provincial governments in Canada are served by many committees composed entirely of their own members.
- A councillor sitting on an Advisory Committee assists the Committee in its work with their knowledge of issues, their legislative experience, and their knowledge of Council concerns and priorities. Committees will be less effective without members of Council attached to them.
- As members of Council, councillors who sit on advisory bodies carry the knowledge and insights of the advisory bodies back into the Council chamber, to inform democratic debate on key issues. This is a role which no one else can properly fulfill.
You can find contact information for councillors here.
Paul Breese
Nov.22/24
With the exception of Councillors Lachica, Bierk and Riel this Council has shown itself to be intolerant of fundamental democratic principles as the Bonnerworth fiasco bears witness and where Mayor Leal suggested that Bonnerworth would become a “carbon sink”. This remark was either “tongue in cheek” or an expression of lack of enviromental awareness.
Removing councillors from advisory committees is another means of discouraging meaningful discussion at a time when democratic government seems to be under attack world-wide.
Councilors are, by their definition, representatives of their communities. I believe it is entirely desirable for councilors to hear the needs and wants of their constituents through sitting on advisory councils. Maintaining relationships and trust is key to putting good democracy into action, and this connection is invaluable.
This is just so wrong and why is it flying under the radar? The change could be quietly passed without most citizens having any idea of the impact.
Climate change and environmental issues are crucial and there must be ongoing rigorous communication/action between the committee and council to deal with the situation in our city.
Without a representative from council it will be a difficult process for committee concerns to be heard.
Why have advisory committees at all if there is no collaboration with government.
Right on! Two-way communication of information, context and intention between advisory committees and City Council can only be achieved when one or more City Councilors sit on advisory committees – establishing an important ‘bridge’ between Council and advisory committees. This is the norm in most communities. One example is that only a councilor can recommend that the Chair of an advisory committee like PEAK ask a citizen or group to make a presentation on a particular topic. There is no other mechanism for this ‘connection’ between an advisory committee and the community to be made.