Before Becoming a Municipal Councillor
Speak to others who have served on the municipal council. They will be able to tell you first hand what it is like. They will have experienced the joys as well as the disappointments of being a municipal politician. This will help you decide if this is for you.
Speak to others who have served on the municipal council. They will be able to tell you first hand what it is like. They will have experienced the joys as well as the disappointments of being a municipal politician. This will help you decide if this is for you.
Think about the time commitment to run for office and of the time commitment of being a councillor. Will you be able to organize your existing family, work and community time commitments to make room for this added responsibility?
Attend meetings of council and committee of council to get an idea of the municipal issues and to better understand the process of governing.
Ask the Chief Administrative officer for the municipality for a copy of the budget and other documents such as the municipality’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plan. These will give you a good idea of the challenges and opportunities facing the municipality.
Attend one or more public meetings to gain an appreciation of the way in which the public interfaces with the municipality.
Develop a political position on keys issues affecting the municipality. You should also think about the ways in which you will be able to communicate effectively to the voters. Voters need to understand who you are and why they should vote for you.
Develop a preliminary budget of what you estimate the cost of an election will cost. Identify some of the sources that will be able to help you financially.
Related Candidate Articles
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Mothers, Sisters, Daughters…Did you know that while women make up more than 50 percent of our population, they make up a mere 21 per cent of municipal councillors and 7 per cent of mayors and wardens in Nova Scotia? -
The municipal council is the governing body of the municipality. The council should reflect the diversity of views and opinions that naturally reside within the municipality. Too often this is not the case and decisions are made that do not fully take into account this diversity. -
Speak to others who have served on the municipal council. They will be able to tell you first hand what it is like. They will have experienced the joys as well as the disappointments of being a municipal politician. This will help you decide if this is for you.
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Remember that one of the hall marks of a successful municipal politician is continuous learning. Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and to grow. Progressive municipalities will set aside monies in the annual budget to support the training and development of their municipal councillors. -
Sincere desire to make your community better. This should be the main motivation for any form of public service including being a municipal councillor. A willingness to listen to a variety of demands place upon you and your time by individuals and groups in your community. -
Being a municipal councillor means being a community leader. It is a place where you and your fellow councillors can make a real difference in the lives of the people in your community. -
The Municipal Elections Act provides all the statutory requirements for a Municipal Election. For those thinking of running for a Municipal Election, you need to determine if you can run. -
Making the
decision to run for municipal office is not an easy decision to make but
once it is made you should direct all of your energies to winning the
election. To do so you will need to have a well-organized campaign plan
in order to be successful. -
Offering to stand for municipal election is certainly a noble and selfless contribution to the betterment of your community but it is certainly not the only way in which those who are so inclined can do so. Indeed there are many ways to make a contribution many of which require much less time and are not so much in the spot light. -
The salary and benefits for Elected Officials vary widely from municipality to municipality. -
The day after the municipal election can be a very scary time. The campaign is over and you have been elected. What do you do?
The first things to do is take a deep breath and realize that many people have just gone through what you have; they are feeling the same way you are feeling and have come through with flying colours.