October 26, 2024
I have heard from many of you that Council is not listening. In this newsletter, I want to explain how communications to the City may be used to get your views heard by Council.
Open governance is something I care a lot about and something I have spoken about many times. Recent changes to the Council Procedures Bylaw have reinstated opportunities for citizens to be heard at evening Council meetings, but more needs to be done. Public input to Council discussions and feedback to decisions are important to me . . . and provide a level of accountability to City Councillors.
Let me add parenthetically that I have become more and more opposed over the years to the growing limits on the public’s input to decisions that affect the lives of Victorians. To give a very recent and egregious example of Council overreach without public input, we can look at the SOLID “Dowler” facility. While I opposed bylaw changes which could see “social services centres” set up throughout the neighbourhoods of Victoria without any public input, or even Councillor review, these changes were approved by the majority of Council.
Communications with City staff and Members of Council about City operations and Council considerations/decisions can take many forms. As residents deal with problems specific to them, they often develop their own links to specific staff members who are working on projects which affect them.
For others, I will illustrate how you can make your voice heard, how you can use Council procedures to get your thoughts and recommendations before members of Council.
Marg
Communications with the City:
City: Have-Your-Say
The City of Victoria has an engagement hub called Have your Say. Registration is required. Once registered, you may participate in any survey or provide input without registering each time.
City: Sign Up: Newsletters
More recently, the City has created newsletters focussed on specific topics of interest. They are popular. Content is current and timely including temporary newsletters for editions for projects such as Crystal Pool. Click here to register and choose newsletters.
Email and letter communications with the City and Councillors:
Councillors and staff typically received 100s of emails each day. However, the number addressed to all members of Council has been significantly lower in the past month, with less than 50 on a typical weekday.
Fewer developments and other matters come forward to Council for consideration than in the past. Going forward, even fewer are expected because much of the decision-making has been delegated to staff.
Letters – Sending or delivering a paper-letter may mean that staff scan it and forward it to members of Council – resulting in a 1-4 delay in receipt. When letters are hand delivered to City Hall, they are placed in mail-cubbies to be retrieved when the Councillor is next at City Hall. This results in delays of receipt of a letter by a day or perhaps by a week.
Letters sent by email attachment require someone to isolate that letter – open it up – and then consider whether and how to reply. This can be difficult and time consuming. When possible, I strongly recommend that comments be embedded in an e-mail rather than as a separate document, and please consider including your phone number.
E-Mails – There are 3 ways to send emails.
- directly to a Councillor (or staff)
- to all members of Council via councillors@victoria.ca
- to all members of Council, routed by staff via mayorandcouncil@victoria.ca
Please don’t try to cover all by sending to 2-3 of the addresses.
How to decide which councillor e-address to use?
mayorandcouncil@victoria.ca is the address to use when you are responding to a City call for input on a project or initiative, or an operational matter. The staff member who reads the email will (1) respond directly if the answer is known, or (2) forward it to operational staff if he/she thinks that someone could directly give an answer or resolve a problem, or (3) forward to Members of Council. If forwarded to an operations staff member, Councillors are provided a copy of the staff response to the issue. This can speed up responses with operational issues.
When input to the City is sought on a matter, emails using this address will be included by staff when they collate responses to an issue (e.g., a development proposal).
Note: these emails are processed only during city hall opening hours/days, and each is read by a staff member and likely by many Councillors.
councillors@victoria.ca is the address to use when you want to send your opinion to Councillors (and the Mayor) on a policy or political matter. These emails go directly and immediately to all members of Council. Councillors will individually decide whether or not to respond. I choose to respond to residents or business-owners when I think I may be able to assist or resolve a problem.
Increasing the likelihood of receiving responses from Councillors: When dozens or hundreds of emails are sent to Council in a matter of a couple of days or weeks, it would consume all of a Councillor’s time to respond to each. Councillors each have their own process for reviewing and responding to e-mails. Some scan each and choose emails to which they want to respond. Some have the emails go to mailboxes depending on the e-address used.
When many emails (say 20-100) come in on the same subject within a couple of days, it is unlikely each will receive a response. The “message” will have been received with the first few emails.
However, even if not responded to, many independent e-mails can make a difference. The hundreds that came in during and following the March Committee of the Whole at which the remuneration topic was discussed sent a clear signal to Council. (Note: in this case ultimately the objections failed to achieve the intended purpose as months later the increase in remuneration became, at minimum, 40% effective in 2026).
Subject line in e-mail: Due to the volume of emails, an email can easily be lost or misplaced. This typically initiates a keyword search of the subject line or by email of the sender. I will often read an email and hope to get back to it – but cannot easily find it. Choose your words for the subject line well so that the topic is clearly identified. It is difficult to remember the names of everyone who writes to Council. But, if I do recall a name and search for it, it must be the name of the sender, which means via Councillors@victoria.ca or a direct email to my e-address. When staff forward emails to Council, the staff e-address becomes the sender e-address, not the originator of the e-mail.
Signature/Identification: Make sure your name (or business) and address are provided. Councillors more often respond to residents who are writing to an issue specific to the neighbourhood for which they have been appointed liaison. Often, it may be more convenient for a Councillor to phone someone to get more detail or to provide an explanation.
I do not respond to anonymous emails and other Councillors may not either.
What not to send or say in messages to Councillors:
Members of Councils receive daily media reports with links to major print and e-news articles and radio commentary which reference the City of Victoria or a member of council. While opinions about media reports or letters to the editor are useful, articles and links are not likely to be opened if they are ones within the city’s daily media report.
While some Councillor’s count the number of form letters sent on a topic, very few are read.
Polite and thoughtful emails are more likely to receive a response.
In-Person during Council meetings, Open House Events, and Pop-ups:
Evening Council Meetings: In-Person discussions are usually the most impactful. The recent changes to the Council Procedures Bylaw provide more opportunities to speak at evening Council meetings. You must register in advance here .
Councillors are forbidden from responding at Council meetings. The more people speaking on issues, the stronger the message. There is a 5-minute speaking time limit.
Opportunities at evening Council meetings on the second Thursday include:
- every month 15 people may speak on topics of their choosing if the topic is not a land use matter that may come to Council at some future time. Other restrictions ensure there is a clear separation between each speaker and their presentation while permitting more than one speaker to address a specific topic, and the vetting of speakers to reduce “repeat speakers”.
- Town Hall: at the March meeting an additional 20-24 people will be permitted to speak during a 2-hour period following the usual 15 speakers on topics which are permitted.
- Open House: at the June meeting staff will present a current topic and the public will be able to ask questions and offer feedback.
- Open House: at the November meeting presenters from organizations that receive $25,000 or more in City funds may report on use and community benefits of the funding (10 minute time limit).
Pop-Ups: The City Engagement group is often seeking input on City initiatives. Open House events and “Pop-Up” gatherings on specific topics are promoted through the Have Your Say hub or newsletters available at Sign-Up.
Neighbourhood Meetings: You can communicate through your local neighbourhood association meetings. A councillor, assigned as Council Liaison for each neighbourhood, is usually present. You may find neighbourhood association and councillor liaison contact information here .
Other: I personally find meetings with neighbourhood groups to be valuable and refreshing. While Councillor time is limited, I and others often meet residents and business-owners to discuss a particular problem.
If you have a question about how you can get your message to City Council, please email me.
Please understand, these are my views, and are not presented as the position of Council.
Marg Gardiner, City of Victoria Councillor.
“Victoria would be so much safer and inviting if those who live and work here become Council’s priorities”