10/12/2026
DEMOCRACY BEGINS WITH US
PART 11
DEMOCRACY BETWEEN ELECTIONS
♦️ HOW CAN BANCROFT RESIDENTS REMAIN INVOLVED AFTER THE BALLOTS ARE COUNTED?
Voting determines who will serve on council, but it does not end the public’s role in local government.
During the next four-year term, Bancroft Council will make decisions about taxation, roads, water and wastewater, recreation, planning, public facilities, economic development and other municipal priorities.
Residents do not need to wait until the next election to participate. They can follow council business, contact elected representatives, attend meetings, make delegations, participate in public consultations, request municipal records and monitor how council members vote.
Democracy is strongest when public participation continues between elections.
🔹 FOLLOW THE BUSINESS BEFORE COUNCIL
Bancroft’s Council and Committee Portal provides residents with access to:
• Upcoming and past meetings.
• Council and committee agendas.
• Minutes, reports and municipal documents.
• Meeting livestreams.
• Attendance and voting records.
• Email subscriptions for meetings of interest.
• Applications to serve on municipal boards and committees.
The portal allows residents to follow an issue from the time it appears on an agenda through debate, voting and implementation.
Do not rely entirely on social media summaries or second-hand accounts. Whenever possible, review the agenda, staff report, motion and recorded vote directly.
🔹 READ THE AGENDA BEFORE THE MEETING
An agenda shows what council is scheduled to consider. Supporting reports may explain:
• The issue before council.
• The available options.
• Financial implications.
• Recommendations from municipal staff.
• Previous council decisions.
• Applicable bylaws, policies or legislation.
Reading the agenda before the meeting gives residents time to understand the issue, contact council members or determine whether formal participation is appropriate.
Minutes are important, but they are published after the meeting. Early participation begins with the agenda.
🔹 ATTEND OR WATCH COUNCIL MEETINGS
Municipal council meetings are generally open to the public unless a specific legal exception permits or requires part of a meeting to be closed.
Attending or watching a meeting allows residents to hear the information presented, observe the debate and understand how council reaches a decision. Bancroft’s portal also provides access to meeting livestreams.
The right to observe a meeting does not automatically include a right to speak whenever a resident chooses. Public participation must follow Bancroft’s Procedural Bylaw and the rules established for delegations and public meetings.
🔹 CONTACT THE MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS
Residents may contact the mayor and councillors using the information published through the Town’s Council Portal.
Effective communication should be:
• Specific about the issue.
• Supported by relevant facts or documents.
• Clear about the action being requested.
• Respectful of differing opinions.
• Focused on the municipality’s authority and the broader public interest.
A short, well-supported message is often more effective than a lengthy message containing unrelated concerns.
Residents should also understand the limits of an individual council member’s authority. One councillor cannot independently change a bylaw, approve spending, direct municipal staff or guarantee how council will vote. Decisions are generally made collectively by council through resolutions and bylaws.
A councillor can listen, ask questions, request information, raise an issue and vote when the matter comes before council.
🔹 SPEAK AS A DELEGATION
A delegation is a formal opportunity for an individual or organization to address council or a committee about a matter within its mandate.
The Town states that a delegation request and accompanying documentation must be submitted using the form prescribed by the Clerk at least five business days before the meeting.
A strong delegation should:
• Identify the issue clearly.
• Explain why municipal action is needed.
• Present verifiable information.
• Offer a practical recommendation.
• Respect the allotted speaking time.
• Anticipate reasonable questions from council.
• Avoid personal attacks or unsupported allegations.
Submitting written material gives council members an opportunity to review the information before the meeting. Residents should contact the Clerk’s Department before preparing a delegation to confirm the current requirements, deadline and available meeting date.
🔹 PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC MEETINGS
Public meetings provide residents with an opportunity to comment on matters that may significantly affect the community or property owners.
The Town identifies the annual municipal budget and planning matters as examples of subjects for which public input may be sought. At these meetings, the proposal is normally presented and residents may be invited to ask questions or express their views.
Public participation does not guarantee a particular outcome. Council must consider legislation, municipal authority, financial implications, staff recommendations and the interests of the community as a whole.
Participation is most effective before a final decision has been made.
Watch for municipal notices concerning:
• Budgets and taxation.
• Planning applications.
• Official Plan or zoning changes.
• Major capital projects.
• Service-level changes.
• Strategic plans.
• New or amended bylaws and policies.
🔹 SERVE ON A BOARD OR COMMITTEE
Municipal boards and committees allow residents to contribute knowledge, experience and community perspective.
Opportunities may arise in areas such as recreation, libraries, accessibility, community safety, planning or other municipal priorities. Bancroft’s Council Portal includes information about applying to serve on a board or committee.
Serving requires preparation, regular attendance, respect for established mandates and an understanding that committee recommendations may still require council approval.
Community participation also extends beyond formal municipal appointments. Residents can support local organizations, attend public events, volunteer and help build constructive relationships across the community.
🔹 REQUEST MUNICIPAL RECORDS
Many municipal records are already publicly available through agendas, minutes, reports, bylaws and the Town’s online document library.
If a record is not publicly available, a person may be able to request access under Ontario’s Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
MFIPPA applies to municipal institutions and permits requests for records in formats including reports, correspondence, electronic documents, emails, audio and video. Access is subject to the legislation, including privacy protections and other exemptions.
Before making a formal request:
• Search the Council Portal and municipal website.
• Identify the record as precisely as possible.
• Specify the relevant date range, department or subject.
• Ask the municipality whether the information is already publicly available.
A request for records is not the same as asking the municipality to create a new explanation, analysis or document.
🔹 USE THE RIGHT PROCESS
Different concerns require different municipal processes.
• Municipal service issue: Contact the responsible department.
• Policy or spending concern: Contact council or request a delegation.
• Budget or planning proposal: Participate through the applicable public process.
• Municipal records: Search the portal or use the MFIPPA process.
• Administrative complaint: Use the Town’s complaint process.
• Council-member conduct: Follow the Integrity Commissioner process discussed in Part 10.
The Town’s complaint form asks residents to provide details, identify the service area or location, include supporting documents and explain the resolution being requested.
Using the correct process improves the likelihood that the matter will reach the person or body with the authority to address it.
🔹 PARTICIPATE CONSTRUCTIVELY
Residents have the right to question decisions, criticize policies and advocate for change.
Constructive participation focuses on the issue rather than attacking individuals. It distinguishes verified facts from assumptions and recognizes that residents may hold different views in good faith.
When raising a concern:
• Confirm the facts.
• Identify the relevant municipal authority.
• Explain the community impact.
• Propose a realistic solution.
• Keep records of correspondence and responses.
• Follow the issue through subsequent agendas and minutes.
Council must sometimes balance competing interests, limited resources and legal obligations. A decision that differs from one resident’s preferred outcome is not necessarily evidence that the public was ignored.
Accountability means council should consider relevant information, follow the required process and explain its decisions.
🔹 TRACK THE FULL TERM, NOT ONLY THE CAMPAIGN
Campaign commitments should be compared with the realities of municipal authority, available funding and decisions made by council collectively.
Residents can monitor:
• Attendance at council and committee meetings.
• Voting records.
• Questions asked during debate.
• Budget decisions.
• Progress on major projects.
• Changes to policies and bylaws.
• Whether public commitments are reflected in formal council action.
Not every campaign commitment can be completed immediately or by one council member acting alone. However, residents can reasonably expect elected representatives to explain what they supported, what they opposed and why.
♦️ WHY THIS MATTERS
A healthy local democracy requires more than voting once every four years.
It requires residents who remain informed, attend or watch meetings, ask focused questions, participate at the appropriate time and hold elected representatives accountable using facts and established processes.
Municipal government works best when residents understand how decisions are made and elected officials understand that public participation continues after Election Day.
♦️ BE PREPARED TO VOTE
Bancroft’s municipal voting period runs from October 19 to October 26, 2026.
Voting will be conducted by internet or telephone. In-person internet voting assistance will be available at the Voter Help Centre located at the Town of Bancroft Municipal Office.
Voting closes at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, October 26.
Confirm that your name, qualifying address and mailing information are correct on the Voters’ List:
Town of Bancroft Municipal Office
8 Hastings Heritage Way
613-332-3331
Do not wait until Election Day to address a registration or Voter Information Letter problem.
♦️ NEXT IN THE SERIES
PART 12: MAKING AN INFORMED CHOICE
How to compare candidates, assess campaign commitments and make a final voting decision based on municipal authority, evidence, leadership and accountability.
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“Democracy does not ask us all to think alike. It simply asks each of us to participate.”
SOURCES
• Town of Bancroft, Participating in Municipal Decision Making
• Town of Bancroft, Council and Committee Portal
• Town of Bancroft, Municipal Elections
• Ontario, Municipal Act, 2001
• Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, Access to Information
*This article is intended solely for general public civic education. It is strictly non-partisan and is not intended to promote, support or oppose any candidate, registered third-party advertiser, political party, ballot question or position on any issue.
© 2026 Cheryl Easton | CENTURY 21 Granite Realty Group Inc. All Rights Reserved.
