By Staff
September 8th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
The City of Burlington is hosting its fourth annual Food for Feedback event on Saturday, Sept. 14, between noon and 4 p.m. at Central Park (2299 New St.).
Residents can come to enjoy a free meal in exchange for sharing their thoughts on City projects.
City staff, advisory committees, Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and members of Council will also be in attendance to listen to resident feedback.
Expect the table with the Finance people to be swamped – there is now a well organized group who want to see lower taxes and a City Council that instructs staff to get used to spending less money.
This now annual event went through some arduous debate. At one point each member of Council was arguing that the event should be held in their ward. They came close taking that idea seriously. The Staff report on the event was so poorly prepared and the presentation so badly managed that the then Director was no longer the Director.
A related news story
How we ended up with an annual Food for Feedback event
It is always amazing that people can be bought for a free hot dog.
I can afford my own hot dog.
I will not waste my time at an event that touts engagement but in reality is just ticking off the engagement box.
Your loss.
I attended last year and was amazed at the caliber and dedication of many of the City employees that I talked to.
These are the people you don’t see at Committee or Council.
These people are also not in charge of preparing the Burlington Property Tax Budget but paid Staff at City Hall.
All of these events are for campaigning purposes only on Property Tax Payers money, and disguised to look like Citizen Engagement.
I thought I was cynical.
The food isn’t free, we pay for it. The feedback isn’t even recorded, let alone heard, let alone acted on.
It is, however perfectly timed to be a great annual event for incumbents to use it as a way to campaign for votes during the election period, at our expense. Remember in 2022 they even tried to say non-incumbents couldn’t attend. Tim Commisso admitted to Blair and I at that one that in hindsight, we were correct and this shouldn’t happen during election time and next time it wouldn’t. I suspect it will in 2026 after all, considering he’s now gone and the strong mayor loves it. It’s also such a great propaganda/selfie/social media post tool – “look at us “listening to people” while they eat hot dogs”. That’s what it’s all about.
How can Residents report on, question or give Feedback on a Budget before the 2025 Pre Budget has been presented to Residents for discussion?? And it has Not been presented. ( Our Mayor’s first public meeting on the 2025 Budget is September 11, 2024).
All Feedback and Budget Events should occur AFTER a 2025 Pre Budget has been presented to Burlington Residents so that they can discuss it and provide Feedback prior to it being passed by our Mayor and Council.