Council approves a different look at the creation and membership of Advisory Committees

By Pepper Parr

May 11th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

What became clear very quickly at the City Standing Committee meeting this morning was that there is an election coming.

Chair of the meeting Rory Nisan, wore a tie for the first time in a long time: he is now a candidate for the Office of Mayor.

Time and attention were given to approve a new governance framework for advisory committees, with a comprehensive review scheduled for Q1 2027 to assess the effectiveness, structure, and engagement of these committees.

Advisory committees were led by staff with smiles while residents pleaded their arguments for change. With votes to be had come October, Council said they were prepared to listen.

Those who pay attention to what happens at city hall have complained for years that Councillors gave less than lip service to what the Advisory Committees did with their time.

Some time after the election: Q1 of  2027, we will see the Staff report.  What comes of it will depend on the makeup of Council and who the Mayor is.  Two candidates so far:  Mayor Meed Ward has yet to file nomination papers.   Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns and Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan.