Shelburne town council’s decision to eliminate citizen committees raises concerns.
Council voted to dissolve two groups formed to engage the local community in public dialogue on policies and priorities for the town.
Former chair of the now defunct Community Economic Development Committee, Ed Cayer says it’s tough for the unelected to be heard at the municipal level.
“It’s a real challenge for polititians and bureaucrats to let the public in to comment, criticize or discuss public policy,” said Cayer.
He says the town’s resistence means they’ll need to find another way to have their say in the town’s policies and priorities.
“We, I think, as citizens, should really be organizing ourselves and taking the initiative and telling politians and bureaucrats what we think rather than waiting for them to give us permission.”
Cayer says it worked for seniors at the provincial level with the Pharmacare issue.
Cayer says the province, on the otherhand, is much more forthcoming with invitations for input from the public.
He says it was standing room only at a recent public meeting held by MP Bernadette Jordan.
Shelburne town council voted to dissolve both the anti-racism and economic development citizen committees.
