Local Government - the Engine of the Community

How much do you know (or care) about your local government?

As I look into the gallery on a Tuesday Council meeting I usually see 2 to 5 members of the public, the local media and a dozen or so staff. Estimates suggest that only 3% of the Canadian public are actively engaged in politics. I believe that our residents in Strathcona County fit into this norm.

Residents usually become engaged and interested for two reasons: either because our municipality has demanded resident participation by holding open houses and other public meetings, or because our municipality has failed to meet expectations.

Most of the calls to my office are from people who are voicing the failings of local government to provide the services they need and expect. If a resident experiences drainage issues, lack of recycle pick up or potholes in the street, the light is fully focused on the failures of local government and what their municipality is not doing for them.

For a moment – let’s focus on the bigger picture and why your local government is critical to the vitality and sustainability of our entire population. Three key functions are provision of services, planning and money management. 

Your local government’s core function is providing community services. Residents’ health and well being in day to day and emergency situations rely on an effective delivery of: fire, ambulance and police services; water, road and sewer operations and infrastructure; recreation facilities and programming; and public transit. Another vital community service provided for by local government is social programming that offers a broad range of opportunities for young families, seniors and residents who face challenging situations.

A less visible, but just as crucial function is providing long range planning that results in a safe, caring and well run community of the future. To do this, your local government must plan and effectively manage growth that will provide a high quality of life for all citizens. 

Possibly the most critical role of your local government is their fiscal responsibilities. They are responsible for taxation and the allocation of those tax dollars. Budget creation and management includes a long list of responsibilities such as proactive raising and management of grants and other monies.

Your local government needs to be held accountable by its electorate in all of these areas. The good news is that local government is the most communicative and most accessible of all levels of government. Our elected officials live, work and play in our community. They are your neighbours. Most are able communicators who know that the key to success in serving our community is in engaging you, our residents. I and several others utilize many forms of social media, make ourselves available by phone, personal and group meetings and public engagements.

If your local level of government is the engine of the community – then it is people that are the fuel that drives the engine. Never hesitate to approach your elected representative to raise issues and discuss how we can make our community a better place for our children and parents.