One of the recurring complaints about citizen participation at municipal meetings is that it’s hard—logistically and practically taxing—to speak at public meetings. It’s hard for people who work the 9-to-5 grind to speak on a weekday at 10am, 1pm or 6pm. And it’s hard for people on the fringes, the Ecum Secums of the world, to drive two hours to City Hall, just to speak for five minutes.
But that all changes today.
Starting Nov. 14, the city of Halifax will allow virtual public participation at in-person municipal meetings. This welcome move is the result of an August 2023 council vote to amend Administrative Order One – Respecting the Procedures of the Council to enable virtual participation.
This is particularly big news if you are already paying attention to Halifax’s municipal meeting schedule—or are a Coast Insider who keeps on top of these things with our exclusive City Hall newsletter (sorry, sort of, for the plug). When you notice something on the agenda for an upcoming meeting that you want council to hear from you about, you can simply contact the city’s clerks by 4:30pm the day before the meeting, and they’ll set you up to do so from the comfort of your own screen—no travel, parking or extended break from the rest of your life required.
This article appears in Nov 6 – Dec 2, 2023.