NEXT CITIZENS' COUNCIL OF HAMILTON TOWNSHIP RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION MEETING

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Last Updated: 29 August 2018

Our next CCHT Meeting will be held on Monday, April 24th – 7:00 PM at the Harwood Hall, 5453 Front St. Harwood, ON.

We are going to screen a short film Today is the Day We Decide (7 minutes in length), concerning The Blue Dot Movement which is a citizen-action initiative of the David Suzuki Foundation that ultimately seeks to have all levels of government recognize our right to clean water, clean air, and healthy food. Currently, we as Canadians do not have this right. While more than 110 nations around the world have recognized their citizens’ right to live in a healthy environment, Canada has not. Without this right, we lack sufficient protection of the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.
The Blue Dot Movement hopes to change this. In Northumberland County we plan to get municipal councils of Cobourg, Port Hope, Hamilton Township, Cramahe Township, Brighton, Trent Hills, Alnwick/ Haldimand Township, and Northumberland County to declare that their citizens have a right to live in a healthy environment, and that they will use the declaration as a guiding principle in all decisions they make. We have been working to strengthen the Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights. Our ultimate goal is to seek a federal Environmental Bill of Rights or to amend the Canadian Charter of Right and Freedoms to recognize our right to live in a healthy environment. See bluedot.ca.

Kelly Serson, Hamilton Township’s Director of Emergency Services/Fire Chief will also attend our April 24th meeting at the Harwood Hall. He will give a talk on updates on fire permits and Gores Landing parking issues.

CCHTRA Executive

This communication is dedicated to sharing information on events and organizing with the Citizens’ Council of Hamilton Township Ratepayers Association members. The Citizens’ Council of Hamilton Township Ratepayers Association does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided on events or matters the Citizens’ Council of Hamilton Township Ratepayers Association does not itself prepare.

Adventures in Budgetland – Why Is Our Rate So High?

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Last Updated: 13 March 2017

Adventures in Budgetland – Why Is Our Rate So High?

As a ratepayer and new member of the CCHT, I offered to record a video and take notes at the 2017 budget meeting for Hamilton Township on December 15. Having no experience with any meetings such as this, it felt like I was dropped into a rabbit hole and the only way out was to figure out the right questions to ask. Unfortunately these questions just lead to more questions, and I still find myself spinning in the hole.  I would like to share, however, what I have learned with anyone who is interested so others might be spared this same ordeal in the future.

Question #1 – Where are we in the 2017 budget process now?

The first opportunity for citizen input was on November 30. I had expected to see the mayor and the councilors there to hear our concerns, but this did not happen. Instead notes were taken which were to be passed on to our elected officials afterwards. At the draft budget meeting that followed on December 15, little discussion of these notes took place and instead salaries and money for capital and operating expenses were announced and projects to be paid for out of reserves were given the green light. The budget, as expected, was passed on December 20.

Is there any other opportunity for input from the ratepayers? Why is there such a rush to pass the budget for Hamilton Township when other municipalities appear to take much longer to complete the process?

Read more: Adventures in Budgetland – Why Is Our Rate So High?

ENGAGEMENT

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Last Updated: 03 February 2017

When do municipalities engage their communities, and why?

Some of the most common reasons are rather uninspiring; because of legal or other requirements; because it is expected; because it seems like the right thing to do.

Are these reasons really good enough? Perhaps the better reasons is because community engagement can help government to do its job and because it leads to better decision making.

Municipalities are not self-sufficient machines delivering services to passive consumers. Expectations have changed, and the challenges that face municipalities are more complex and require more collaboration than ever before.

No one approach is necessarily better than the other; rather, the approach needs to suite the purpose and individuals involved. The goal is to facilitate genuine opportunities for shared learning and dialogue, and find new ways to work together on common goals.

Embracing engagement as a way of working creates better relationships between municipalities and citizens, and increases trust. It breaks down the formality of traditional engagement practices, and focus on working together. Ultimately, it leads to greater citizen involvement, better decision making and an increased sense of civic pride.

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