On Friday MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller issued a public statement on a number of pressing issues for local residents. She addressed the current state of the obstetrics unit as well as offering support for the province-wide movement to decentralize health care administration.
However, the topic of this column is going to be devoted to another issue she mentioned that deserves to be duly noted: a (virtual) public meeting explaining . . .
the inner workings of municipal government, from the individual town councils to the MRC level. The event is planned for next year.
“This session will give an opportunity to Pontiac residents who are hoping to play a more active role in their municipality to learn the ins-and-outs and to ask questions,” she wrote. (The full statement is available on the MRC’s website.)
Understanding the role of different elected bodies and public officials is key for members of the public looking to change their communities for the better. Municipal politics may seem boring (and to tell the truth, a lot of it is), but these are decisions and services that have huge impacts on our daily lives.
Unless you live on a private road or provincial highway, your street is cleared, sanded and maintained by municipal workers. Municipal officials collect your property taxes and can create bylaws restricting everything from where you can legally smoke a joint to what materials you can use to build a fence. Shawville residents that lived with the lengthy boil water advisory this summer likely have a newfound appreciation for the importance and immediacy of local governance.
At the provincial and federal levels, representatives work from behind a desk for the most part, occasionally performing some theatre in their respective legislative assemblies or whenever cameras are trained on them. Despite their best efforts, they are much more disconnected from the populations they’re serving.
Ask anyone that’s served on a municipal council and they will have a story about some irate taxpayer accosting them in their driveway or calling them at all hours to whine about a minor grievance.
This carries over to community journalism as well. Personally, as an opinion writer it’s easy to rail against some big-wig politician that will likely never visit the Pontiac, let alone read my writing. It’s a little more difficult if I’m likely to run into that politician at the grocery store or try to cover them objectively at a council meeting. Constructive criticism, while necessary, needs to be even-handed and based in facts.
More broadly, THE EQUITY operates a little differently than the regional or national papers because it serves a different purpose. We strive to record the stories that matter to Pontiacers, we’re not out here trying to maximize shareholder value by publishing click-bait or hot takes (though we would appreciate if you take a look at our website or purchase a subscription if you haven’t already).
We will be heading to the polls next fall to decide who manipulates the levers of power in our county, assuming we’re not enslaved by the Galactic Federation of extraterrestrials before then. There’s no better time to learn how the system operates and with any luck, these information sessions will become a semi-regular occurrence.
There’s plenty of political newbies that could be convinced to run for office or pay closer attention to their local council if given the right guidance. There’s probably some municipal councillors or employees who would benefit from an understanding of how the MRC framework operates.
Civic literacy is extremely important and the warden should be given credit for prioritizing this initiative. I would add that she should also be scrutinized for her progress on the 11 priorities that she championed at the beginning of her term, a topic she also intends to discuss publicly according to her statement. Keep your eyes peeled for the official dates for these events and get involved.
Caleb Nickerson
