When it comes to government in Canada we are largely impacted by three levels; federal, provincial and municipal.
While all three have their roles and certainly impact things, in particular how much they siphon from our pocketbooks in terms of taxes, when it comes to the most direct impact on our lives, we need to look no farther than City Hall in any community across the country.
It is also the level of government where each person at the table in City Hall have the loudest voice, and those who they represent have the greatest access to those we elect.
On the one side, the Mayor and Councillors live and work in the community. They go to hockey games, play golf, buy things in local stores.
They are easy to find for upset residents to stop and make sure they, as representatives, are aware of potholes, and the seemingly always present trains crossing Broadway Street, or the smell of canola crushing, or how an outdoor pool would be nice to see in the city.
It is perhaps the purest example of democracy, with voters having a very direct way to have their concerns heard.
Once at the Council table the seven elected have equal voices, and an equal vote.
Yes, the Mayor controls meetings, and does various things as the local head of government away from chambers, but in the end the Mayor casts one vote with no greater or lesser value than any other member.
While in some larger cities, Council members might fly the flag of a political party, having to tow the party line at times, locally that is not the case, so each votes as they deem appropriate, based on their own personal vision for the city. It can create a dynamic debate at times with votes breaking in different ways based on those unique visions.
At the municipal level Councillors can also rather easily bring forth ideas for consideration, and that gives them a very direct ability to forge a direction for Council, if their ideas can garner the support of a majority of Council at least.
That is a hugely important facet to local government, where each member can bring forward ideas for open discussion and ultimately a vote.
We saw two examples of that process in action at the last regular meeting of Yorkton Council. Both Councillor Dustin Brears and Councillor Darcy Zaharia brought forward motions for consideration, Brears’ dealing with tax planning for the next three years, and Zaharia seeking to provide greater information on matters of Council to voters.
It is why local government can be so effective, the ability to hear directly from residents on a near daily basis, and then to offer motions when deemed necessary.
At times we tend to question what ‘government’ does, but at the local municipal level, at least in Yorkton, it works rather smoothly building for the community’s future.
