Whereas the Healthy Democracy Project is a Board of Directors supported and funded initiative through to 2024, meant to promote the value and importance of municipal governments across Ontario, while focusing on the importance of diversity of leadership and perspectives; and
Whereas AMO, as one initiative known as the Local Democracy Accelerator within the Project, is working with four member municipalities to organize and convene community partners to identify challenges, adapt and test solutions, and share knowledge to strengthen democratic engagement across Ontario with five core goals:
- More local democratic and political engagement;
- Better appreciation for municipal government;
- Improved political civility and tone;
- Expand and diversify candidate pool;
- Increase voter turnout and voter diversity; and
Whereas Sault Ste. Marie was chosen as one of the four Loal Democracy Accelerator municipalities to participate in this project;
Now Therefore Be It Resolved that the City of Sault Ste Marie commits to supporting AMO’s Healthy Democracy Project through the Local Democracy Accelerator by having elected officials and staff work with the Healthy Democracy Project team on this initiative AMO to help identify local challenges and potential solutions;
Further Be It Resolved that the City of Sault Ste Marie support its participation in the Local Democracy Accelerator through its own research into barriers to democracy, including, but not limited to:
- Contacting current elected officials and staff to identify barriers to those working within these positions;
- Contacting former Councillors, Mayors and staff to identify barriers they may have faced;
- Contacting candidates who were not successful in their respective municipal elections to find their barriers, and whether or not they would consider running again; and
- Contacting diverse communities within Sault Ste Marie to identify if folks in those communities would consider engaging in local politics and to what degree. Should they choose not to, pursue reasons why they would not;
And that staff be requested to report back to Council on these findings, potential programs, solutions and interventions that can be implemented in conjunction with AMO’s support through the Healthy Democracy Project and the City of Sault Ste Marie’s participation in the Local Democracy Accelerator initiative.