Letter to the Editor: Referendum decision

In light of recent response to the Municipality of South Bruce Council’s decision to commit to a referendum when appropriate studies are completed, I felt it was appropriate to discuss what exactly the “role” of our Council is. According to The Ontario Municipal Councillor’s Guide, “The representative role of council is clearly indicated in section 224 of the Act. At first glance, the representative role appears to be fairly simple and straightforward. But what does it involve? On one hand, you were elected by your constituents to represent their views when dealing with issues that come before council. Your constituents have many views and opinions, and you cannot represent all of them, all of the time. On the other hand, election to office requires you to have a broader understanding of the issues that impact the municipality as a whole. You will have to consider conflicting interests and make decisions that will not be popular with everyone. Generally, evidence-based decisions are made by taking into account all available information.” Read More