By Pepper Parr
August 5th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Engagement can be a double-edged sword.
It got to be a little too much for this delegation – she had to take her cane off the table and use to to lean on while she shifted herself from foot to foot. Delegations are made to stand before Council like surfs with their hats in their hands. We need to upgrade our manners.
A relatively small group presses the city for better engagement; the city gets frustrated when there is a very small response to the surveys they put out.
There is a small group of people who want more in the way of engagement with the city; they want their concerns addressed.
The majority, however don’t really care. They will howl when something that has a direct impact on them goes kaflooey.
Burlington struggles to get a 30% turnout at elections.
There is a form of malaise in the air. There are a lot of people who aren’t sure of which ward they live in; what little they know about their ward councillor comes from the photo ops.
A classic Kearns photo op.
And in Burlington – photo ops are basically the prime political currency.
They are easy and they deliver the message: “I am out there representing you.”
That sort of works – but it isn’t healthy and sooner or later it comes back to bite you in the bum.
Council members aren’t really engaged – the public really doesn’t want to dance with them.
And so we trudge along.
We are going to follow up on this – look at what other communities do and why it can be made to work.
There was an occasion at the Performing Arts Centre where the Mayor of Burlington and the Mayor of Oakville debated (it was more of a discussion that was poorly facilitated)
What surprised many was hearing Mayor Burton tell the audience that Oakville had more than a dozen very active community organizations. That was eye popping.
I agree on all your points above Caren. You’re a frequent contributor I’ve noticed and you have so much knowledge and most importantly … you have common sense!.
I am truly surprised and disappointed at the lack of Burlington citizens’ engagement. Tgere are so many items to discuss and on which to share our thoughts and opinions…… considering the overtaxing we’re experiencing and the steamrolling over the desires and opinions of our citizens.
As a senior advocate I find it absolutely unconscionable you expect senior constituents the prop themselves against a podium while our mayor and councillors sit. This is disrespectful and in unbelievably poor taste. I’m a person in a protected class so if l ever have to delegate at cityhall, I WILL BE SITTING
Engagement with our mayor and council at the COB is a big issue and not at all welcoming.
Our mayor and council have a spending problem! They love to spend our money on all of the “nice to haves” instead of the “needs only”.
Numerous delegates have delegated before council on the Property Tax Budget and other things that are important to them in our community. If what they are delegating on has no interest to council members, delegates are basically dismissed without a nod or a question on their particlar topic. It goes in one ear and out the other.
There are a lot of things wrong with this scenario. Our mayor and council are elected by the residents of Burlington, and our city council should be listening to their constituents. They should all be engaging, transparent and accountable.
But, instead, our mayor and some council members
insist on doing one on one meetings in local grocery store coffee shops.
Our mayor also insists on doing “Telephone Town Halls” where all questions are screened by her handlers that answer the phone calls and screen all of the questions, and then the handler decides whether or not you can speak and ask your question.
Is this true engagement?
Our Mayor does Budget Town Halls in each Ward in Burlington in September each year for the upcoming Budget. I have attended many of these discussions in person or by Zoom. No notes are taken by our mayor or anyone else that I could see. Our Mayor doesn’t know all of the answers to the questions that are asked of her? She says she will follow up with staff and get back to you, but this doesnt happen? Why isn’t someone from the Finance Department at the city there to answer these important financial questions; and provide the answers?
It makes complete and total sense to me.
A lot of no answers!!
IMO, we do not need any of these futile and expensive Engagement Meetings or Surveys; we do not need one on one coffee shop meetings; a Mayor’s Telephone Town Hall; and we do not need a “Food for Feedback event” each September that costs thousands in tax payer dollars for set up, banners, overtime pay for city staff etc. etc., and who knows how much for free food from the multiple Food Trucks each year!!! Which we all pay for in tax payer dollars! (and no one is screened to actually confirm whether or not those attending the event are Burlington residents!) Doesn’t matter, we as tax payers will pay for all of it.
What we need is a in-person Open Forum Town Hall so that all Burlington residents can attend and ask questions, and have them answered and noted so that all residents can hear the questions and the answers in one place. This would be progress.
Time for some True and Honest Engagement in the City of Burlington.