It is municipal election season, folks. Big excitement, am I right?
I begrudgingly pay attention to local politics. Begrudging because I find it extremely tedious and frustrating, but paying attention nonetheless because it turns out that many important decisions get made at the municipal level. (For those who pay zero attention, your municipal government is your local Mayor and town Councillors.)
I am a huge believer in community, and your municipal government is made up of the people that should listen to the concerns, needs and dreams of their local community members and then represent those community members when making decisions about infrastructure, housing, sustainability, policing, etc.
Right now, in your community, there are folks running for Mayor, maybe Deputy Mayor, and Councillor positions. Those people will have a lot of say in what services your town prioritizes, whether or not green infrastructure and sustainability are part of the discussion, and what kind of growth will happen in the near future, among other things. They will also decide which voices in your community are worth listening to, and in some cases whether or not they listen to their community at all.
Politicians are not supposed to act based on their own opinions and wishes; politicians are supposed to represent the community that elected them. To do that, they need to be listening to the people who live there. They need to be willing to change their minds when new information is brought forward, or when the lived reality of the community changes. They need to recognize all people within their town as human beings worthy of being heard.
I don’t need to tell you that not all politicians do these things.
If you can do one thing between now and October 26th (Election Day) to build community and have a voice, it’s this: get out to one debate, or read the websites of the folks running in your town, or call or email them about the things that matter to you. Use your voice, but most importantly pay attention to what the candidates represent. And then VOTE, for heavens’ sake.
Communities know what they need and what they have to offer, and communities should be planned and built by and for the people who live there. You need municipal government officials who are listening and ready to work for everyone they represent.
Do a tiny bit of work (I’m sorry) to find out who the right candidates are in your town, then vote for them.
xo
Shannon
P.S. I am not going to publicly mention who I support because this isn’t an endorsement for anyone, but if you live in Hamilton Township or Cobourg and want to chat about the candidates in those areas, hit me up.
Upcoming Shows
Plainville United
Cultivate Festival Locally Grown Stage
Saturday September 26th at 5:30pm
Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can - grab yours here
The Joy Just Because playlist is freshly updated, and includes my latest release, a new song I’m obsessed with by Lo and the High Road (also Cobourg folks), and Brandi Carlisle’s RAGE-filled live cover of Uninvited by Alanis Morissette. Sometimes a good rage-y song brings me joy, what can I say?