In just a bit more than two months, voters in Hawkesbury will select a new mayor and council. During the past nine months, the La Ligue due Réveil Civique (LLRC) has formed in Hawkesbury with the goal of building a more transparent, accountable, and engaged municipal government.
The organization insists it is a non-partisan citizen’s movement with the simple idea of giving back citizens their place at the centre of municipal life.
An LLRC document insists the organization was established out of a realization that questions were not being answered, citizens felt excluded from decision-making, important information was difficult to access, and a perception that people could not make a difference. The document also insists the LLRC is not a political party, a movement based on personal attacks, or a group built on division.
Areas of interest the LLRC has been focusing on include planning, financial management, public participation, bilingual communication, infrastructure, the freedom of information process, and cases involving the Ombudsman and Integrity Commissioner.
The LLRC has been meeting weekly at Centre Culturel Le Chenail. Anywhere from 12 to 24 people are usually present. The meetings are chaired by former Hawkesbury Mayor René Berthiaume. The meetings proceed in an orderly fashion. Participants are required to make their comments or ask questions through the Chairman. There is no tolerance for disrespect or aggressive behaviour.
The LLRC has been trying to educate prospective election candidates on issues and general aspects of municipal government, hoping they will run.
“That’s what we’re trying to get out there,” said the LLRC’s Michael MacDonald at the Wednesday, August 12 meeting.
During the meeting, MacDonald emphasized the LLRC is not what some people perceive it to be.
“It’s a civic awakening. It’s to educate the citizens over and over again who are voting for the wrong things,” he said.
“This is not a cult. It’s a group of citizens who are concerned that we need to do something protect ourselves as citizens,” MacDonald continued.
At that meeting, the LLRC members adopted a series of goals to share with candidates that it would like to see achieved by the new council during the first year of its mandate, and over all four years of the mandate.
The recommended objectives for during the first year are; Strengthening governance; Improved documentation and archiving of municipal records using the existing cultural by-law and the services available through the Hawkesbury Public Library; A participatory budget development process that includes citizens, a justification of expenses, and a minimum of quarterly updates from staff to Council about municipal finances; Implementation of citizen engagement through the revival of the former municipal Horizon 2030 Strategic Plan which would establish regular “town hall” style meetings where citizens could ask questions and make comments; Modernization of the management of recreation, sports, and cultural services provided by the municipality; Revitalization of community life, street infrastructure and local events; A secure foundation for the Centre Culturel Le Chenail with a 10-year lease; Improve municipal grant management and monitoring; Addressing homelessness with a real, measurable plan; Develop a reasonable, measurable plan for housing, social services, and mental health.
The recommended objectives to be achieved during the entire four-year term are; Restoring the capacity of skilled labour through a resilient municipal workforce which recruits and retains skilled professionals; Fiscal responsibility with responsible and predictable taxation, preferably at or below the cost of living index; Full implementation of a participatory budget; Modern, reliable infrastructure; Strengthen economic development and tourism; Instill citizen mobilization through the Horizon 2030 strategic plan; Development of a municipal performing arts facility; A review of all municipal by-laws; And, formal recognition of Hawkesbury’s bilingual heritage.
All LLRC meetings are open to the public. They begin at 6:30 pm each Wednesday evening and are usually about 90 minutes to two hours in duration. They take place at Centre Culturel Le Chenail, located at Maison de l’île at Confederation Park. Regular updates are provided at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588629684616. For further information, contact [email protected].
