Ask not what your City can do for you!
The sheer number of candidates and volunteers who were engaged in last year’s municipal election clearly demonstrated that the citizens of Brantford both want to be involved in local government and that they are willing to invest their time, energy and expertise to ensure a better Brantford. But what’s a citizen activist to do if there’s no election on? One avenue of opportunity open to all is participation and service on City Committees and Boards, a number of which are actively recruiting at this time.
I serve as Vice Chair of both the Sanderson Centre Management Board and the Economic Development Advisory Committee. In this capacity, I was asked to attend an information session at City hall to help answer questions regarding public service and my specific Board and Committee. For me, it was a great opportunity to meet individuals actively seeking ways to get involved. Throughout the evening the questions I was asked were very similar and I thought it would therefore be of interest to others who were not able to attend to share some of the discussion via this forum.
The most common question I was asked was “what do these committees do”? The answer depends on the nature of the committee or board however at the risk of oversimplify things: advisory committees advise council on subjects and issues offering insight, detailed analysis and expertise to assist in the overall management and governance of the City. Management boards on the other hand, have limited autonomous responsibly to actually manage City facilities like the golf courses or the Sanderson Centre with Council acting as the final authority on all matters.
The next most common question was “what will be expected of me and how much investment of my time is required”. This is a tricky question and the answer really depends on you. Public service and volunteering is a very personal thing. A City committee requires a 1 or 2 hour monthly meeting commitment plus addition time to prepare. This may increase with participation on sub committees. Therefore it is possible to put in as little as 4-5 hours per month or as much time and energy as you feel comfortable with. In terms of getting started, joining a committee and being the new member at the table can be intimidating. The best advice I can offer is: don’t be afraid to ask questions. Just remember, everyone else was new once too. If you are committed, willing to learn and driven to succeed as a volunteer you will do just fine. As you grow more comfortable with the subject matter, the procedures and the people around the table you will naturally begin to share more of your own thoughts and ideas and possibly even assume leadership roles within the group.
Volunteer Committee work is perfect for those of us who want to be involved but are not interested in running for office and also for those who want to find out if a political career would suit them. It provides an opportunity to better understand your City’s government and community and to make a positive personal difference. It’s also a great way to meet new and interesting people and learn valuable skills that can be applied in other areas of your professional and personal life. Whatever your age, skill set, experience and background, if you feel that public service is something you would like to try, I encourage you to ask your councillor for more details, read up on the committees who are seeking volunteers and if you are truly committed, just do it.
Kevin Magee is a 2.0 Citizen, Capitalist, Community Builder and member of the Expositor’s Community Editorial Board. You can find him online at www.kevinmagee.com
Republished from the Brantford Expositor: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=2975115
