Our local democracy is fragile. It needs significant improvements. We can do better. We must do better.
Only 1 out of 3 electors vote: 33.1% in 2021; 35.8% in 2016; 33.0% in 2012.
I commit to finding out why the majority of our citizens do not vote, then implementing measures that will increase our voter turn-out to at least 50% by 2030.
According to my research, here are some of the measures that should significantly improve our city's democracy and achieve that lofty goal:
1) Review the existing ward system to ensure it serves the interest of citizens.
Wards are more populated and bigger. I think 8 wards with one councillor each would be more effective than 4 wards with two councillors each.
This would also enable us to re-establish neighbourhoods of old, like Humphrey, Parkton, Sunny Brae, etc.
2) Review ward boundaries after every census to ensure an equitable voter distribution.
Council should appoint an impartial committee of citizens to ensure an equitable voter distribution in the wards. Every citizen must have the same electoral power regardless of his or her residence. Our citizens deserve it.
This is done at the federal and provincial levels, so why not at the municipal level as well?
3) Hold an annual public meeting in each ward to exchange with citizens on important Council activities and City issues.
Holding annual public meetings in each ward is a small price to pay to nurture our local democracy.
I convinced Council to hold public meetings on crime in ward 2 in 2022. I also organized an additional public meeting on crime for ward 2 residents in 2023. Finally, I organizes a public meeting on the lack of indoor recreational facilities in the Salisbury road area in 2025. Our citizens appreciated it.
4) Appoint a committee of citizens six months before the May 13, 2030 municipal elections, so in November 2029, in order to encourage citizens to run for municipal office and to vote on election day.
The committee could hold 'meet the candidates' events for ward, general and mayoral contests. It could also explore ways to reduce campaign costs for candidates.
5) Impose limits to candidate campaign expenditures for city elections as well as obligations to divulge the name of contributors as well as the amount of their respective contributions.
Candidates should not be able to 'buy' a win. They should divulge campaign spending as well as contributions and their sources. Such measures exist for provincial and federal elections and should be applied to municipal elections. This requires provincial legislation. Council should advocate for this.
My election campaign will cost approximately $2,400. I will fund 100%. I will accept no contributions.
6) Impose full transparency on Council.
Only confidential issues should be kept behind closed doors. When Council ratifies in public a decision it adopted previously in private, it should provide to the public as much background information as possible on the matter. When Council rejects a motion in private, that motion should also be made public.
7) Force Council to install a culture of transparency for the benefit of citizens.
This obligation would include the publication of press releases on bad news just as is done with good news, the publication of updates on major capital projects, the consultation of citizens on major capital projects, holding an annual public meeting per ward to exchange on city issues and Council decisions, the publication on the city's website of every resolution and how members voted on each one, and the publication on the city's website of the candidates' commitments during the elections campaign, so citizens can compare the commitments with the actual votes.
I commit to proposing a Democracy Bylaw to make City Hall more democratic and accountable.
Without a formal bylaw, it will be very difficult to protect our local democracy and to ensure Council accountability.
In addition, I will continue my efforts to ensure that democracy has priority over bureaucracy. Il my opinion, city managers often intervene in political matters that belong to Council. They do not do it intentionally and they do not do it too often, but they intervene. This poses a threat to our municipal democracy. I have proposed several measures to improve Council's decision-making and to reduce the bureaucratic erosion of our municipal democracy.
If I am re-elected, I will continue to defend our municipal democracy and to improve it as much as possible.
Democracy comes at a cost, but the price to pay for neglecting democracy is too high.