Further Education
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.
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. This budget allocation should not be seen as an expense but rather as an investment in the future of your community. It is extremely short sighted for councillors to trim the budget on the backs of their own training.
Publications
There are a number of very good publications which provide valuable information on local government. Two that provide a good overview of local government and represent a good starting point are:
“Grassroots Democracy Local Government in the Maritimes” by Kell Antoft and Jack Novack. This publication is available through the College of Continuing Education at Dalhousie University.
“Local Government in Canada” 7th edition by C. Richard Tindal and Susan Nobes Tindal. This is available through the Dalhousie University bookstore or can be ordered through your local bookstore.
Continuing Education
Dalhousie University’s College of Continuing Education offers in service programs for municipal officials that lead to the National Advanced Certificate in Local Authority Administration (NACLAA) . This program, which is offered online, includes courses in financial administration, policy planning, program evaluation, citizen engagement and municipal law to name a few. While primarily directed to municipal administrators, elected municipal officials are welcome to take courses as well.
Supporting Organizations
There are many learning opportunities available to municipal councillors from municipal associations. These include the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities (UNSM) at the provincial level and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities at the national level. These organizations offer conferences, workshops and have many publications that will be of interest to elected municipal officials.
Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations (SNSMR) has developed a Municipal Resource Handbook. This handbook provides guidance and assistance to municipal officials on topics relating to municipal finance, administration, planning and development, human resources and strategic management.
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. -
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.
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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.