A Step in the Right Direction

The rain came down last night but that didnt damper the spirits of over 10 people who attended a town hall-style meeting at the Milton Sports Centre put on by Regional Councilor Colin Best on the upcoming budgets for Halton and Milton.

There were lots of questions given to Colin regarding different items on the budget including the increased investment in transit for new buses, plans for new routes and improvements to service.  The Arts and Entertainment centre / Public Library was also discussed with the added investments from both the provincial and federal levels of government…stimulus funding.

In order to get these projects funded, they have to be shovel ready and be completed by March 2011.  Plans are also underway with that extra funding for enhancements to Tonelli area as well as the Nassagawaya Tennis Club.

Other items on the docket were the Region of Halton’s proposal for a 0% increase to the 2010 budgets and how they can do it.  It seems great that 0% is being discussed but when you look at the economy the way it is now, and how slow our recovery might be in the coming years does that mean 0% in 2010 and a higher increase in 2011?

This was the first time Colin held a meeting like this so we really didnt know what to expect but it was great to see new faces of people who are genuinely interested in the direction the town and the region is going with funding of certain projects.

I’ve always said that these types of meetings are vital to ensuring a higher level of communication between the tax payer and government.  Now you might say only 10 people showed up but thats a start.  Its been said that some councillors have tried to have these meetings and it hasnt worked out.  This isnt something that you “try” to do, its something that you MUST do.

The days of quarterly newsletters to the public are over.  If in fact they ever existed here in Milton (I’ve never received anything other than the Town of Milton newsletter) that way of doing things isnt being as effective as it once was.

You would have to be living under a rock the last few years to see the impact of “social networking” on our lives as there are not many people I know that arent participating at some level with Facebook, MySpace and Twitter just to name a few.  As you can see by the right hand column, I am one of those and you can contact me here, on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter as well.  This is something that public officials need to get a grasp on in order to communicate with voters.

Some councillors have/had websites during their campaigns but most havent updated it since then, or its for information purposes only.  Colin Best has a site with his contact information and some links to current issues we’re facing.  Ward 3 Councillor Jan Mowbray has a pretty active site that is updated with current information on whats going on in the area, town council and local events.  A quick search on Google shows there is only a few councillors who have websites.  Ward 3 Councillor Cindy Lunau has one…but it hasnt been updated since Oct 2006 as well as regional councillor Barry Lee, Ward 4 Councillor Wendy Schau among others.  Some councillors did have sites but are now gone. 

These tools are not just election tools and have to be used all the time.

Dont get me wrong…thats not the only solution though.  Call me old school, but I still feel elected officials need to get out there and continue to knock on doors in between elections.  It makes a difference as it shows you are accessible and not just waiting until the next time a vote comes along to meet with people one on one.

Ive spoken with other councillors past and present and some have come to the same conclusion as town halls…”I tried and it didnt work.”  Again, it’s not something that you think about doing or try a couple of times.  It has to become a habit.  I know of many federal and provincial elected officials, despite having high-profile ministries to run, still took the time to hit the doors and meet with people to get feedback and it was met with positive results.

Thinking back to the last municipal campaign, the common theme of many of my conversations with people was that they didnt know who their councillor was or the fact they’ve never heard from them after the election.  With dwindling voter turnout over the last several years…at all levels…something has to change in order to get people more motivated and into local politics.

The by-election in Ward 2 in 2007 garnered only 20% voter turnout.  The results were similar here in Ward one in 2006 with roughly 26% of people coming out to vote.  It’s this level of government that impacts us the most directly and we dont take advantage of that ability.  You can pick up the phone and call your councillor and reach them directly (seeing how they dont have any staff) and ask a question, yet many people dont take advantage of it.

Communication is a two-way street.  There has to be an effort on both sides of the equation in order to get the flow of information and have people involved.  It is imperative that our councillors, both at the region and the town, do a better job of getting in front of voters.  Conversely it’s also just as important for voters…you and I… to want to get involved and find out whats going on.  Too many times we find out about tax increases or new fees by reading the local paper or hearing it from a neighbour. 

So while only 10 people showed up at this meeting, I would call it a success and a definite step in the right direction.  I hope that other councillors would start doing the same thing and stick with it.  Thanks again to Colin for taking the time and the effort in helping educate voters on these complicated budget matters and hopefully we are going to see a trend starting…not just during the next year (election year) but beyond.

There IS an election coming next year and its a great question to ask anyone who comes to your door asking for your support and vote…how are you going to communicate with me?  Another question to ask is how can I help you communicate better with me?