The public has the right to participate in the decision-making process by writing to Council or Committee, submitting a public petition, or making a public presentation, as outlined in the City of Burlington Procedure Bylaw.
| How to communicate with City Council |
| Below is a list of ways you can communicate with City Council |
| Submit Correspondence |
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The Office of the City Clerk can help distribute your correspondence to members of City Council, related to agenda items for upcoming City Council, standing committee, board or committee meetings. Your comments must include at least your first initial and last name - anonymous submissions will not be distributed. In addition to sharing your correspondence with City Council, a board or committee, it will also be shared with relevant City staff. Please note that any correspondence shared may be attached to the minutes of the meeting, which is posted to the City’s website and kept on file as part of the official public record. As correspondence forms part of the public record, it may also be distributed to other members of the public on request. Your signature and contact information will be removed before your correspondence is distributed to the public or posted to the website; however, your full submission may be viewed by request at City Hall through the Office of the City Clerk. View the What is the Public Record? section for further details. Where to send your correspondence Indicate which committee or board you would like your correspondence directed to, along with the agenda item it relates to, and forward in one of the following ways:
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| Speak at an upcoming Committee or Council meeting |
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Speaking, or delegating, at a board, committee or City Council meeting is a great way to share your views with all members of City Council and contribute to the decision-making process. Speakers (delegates) are given 10 minutes to share their comments at a committee or board meeting, and five minutes at a City Council meeting. Registration is required to speak at a meeting and comments must relate to an item on the agenda. A presentation may be made as part of your comments and must adhere to the time limits provided at Committee and Council meetings. If you wish to speak regarding a matter not listed on an agenda, a member of Council must sponsor the item. Contact your ward Councillor directly to make this request. If you are unsure who your ward Councillor is, visit the Find your Councillor Ward page for assistance. To learn more about speaking at an upcoming meeting and to register to speak, visit the city’s Speak at a Meeting page. |
| Make a presentation at an upcoming committee meeting |
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Local boards, agencies, commissions, City staff and other levels of government may submit a request to make a presentation at an upcoming standing committee meeting. Presentations must address matters relevant to the city and seek to provide information or receive input from members of the Committee. Presentations are heard at the beginning of Committee meetings and a maximum of 10 minutes is provided. Presentations will be attached to the minutes of the meeting, which are posted to the City’s website, and kept on file as part of the official public record. As part of the public record, presentations may also be distributed to other members of the public on request. View the What is the Public Record? section for further details. To make a presentation, submit your request by email to clerks@burlington.ca. Please outline the subject of the proposed presentation, whether there is a desired outcome and the committee meeting you would like to present at. All requests for presentations will be considered during the agenda review process. Residents or businesses wanting to make a presentation should refer to Step 2 Speak at an upcoming committee or Council meeting for details. |
| Submit a Petition |
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The Office of the City Clerk accepts petitions related to matters listed on an upcoming standing Committee agenda.
If you wish to submit a petition regarding a matter not listed on an agenda, a member of Council must sponsor the item. Contact your ward Councillor directly to make this request. If you are unsure who your ward Councillor is, visit the Find your Councillor Ward page for assistance. Petition titles will be listed in the minutes of the meeting, which are posted to the City’s website, and the full petition kept on file as part of the official public record. As part of the public record, petitions may also be distributed to other members of the public on request. View the What is the Public Record? section for further details. View the What to include in your petition section for further details. |
| Contact your Councillor directly |
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If you wish to communicate with the Mayor or a Councillor without having your comments added to the public record, you may contact them directly about city and regional matters. All members of Burlington City Council are also Regional Councillors at Halton Region. Visit the Council Members and Wards page to contact with your ward Councillor. If you are unsure who your ward Councillor is, visit Find your Councillor Ward for assistance. |
What to include in your petition
Petitions must contain the following information:
- contact information of the owner/representative of the petition, including full name, address, telephone number, and email
- clear purpose of the petition
- action(s) being requested
- date the petition was started
- the name and postal code of each person who signed or electronically submitted their name to the petition, and if possible, the civic address of all participants.
The City of Burlington is a lower-tier municipality; please be mindful of its jurisdiction and scope when creating petitions.
Format for petitions |
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Feel free to use the Petition Template to start your petition. Petitions may be in any format, including electronic (most online petition builders) as long as they contain all of the information under the What to include section above. If submitting an electronic petition, you can submit it in either of these two ways:
The City’s email system has a size limit for attachments and large files may exceed the capacity. If you’re having trouble emailing a large file, contact the Office of the City Clerk to make other arrangements. Multiple form letters/emails sent to a city email address do not constitute a petition. You must compile the petition yourself, and then submit it once complete. |
Where to submit a petition |
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Questions about petitions? |
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We are here to help. Please contact the Office of the City Clerk if you have any questions about petitions:
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What is the Public Record?
All communications made through the Office of the City Clerk or at a public meeting (City Council, standing Committees, boards and committees) create a public record which is kept on file.
Information to be aware of if you wish to communicate with Burlington City Council:
- all meetings are open to members of the public, including the media
- standing Committee and City Council meetings are live streamed and archived on the City’s website
- correspondence, petitions and presentations made at Committee, board, standing Committee and Council meetings all form part of the public record
- when a member of the public speaks at a meeting, the minutes will include their name and the agenda item they spoke to. Minutes are posted on the City’s website - burlington.ca/publicmeetings.
- written submissions to the Office of the City Clerk are kept on file. They may be viewed by the public and copies may be released on request. The public are able to view your submission in full; however, any photocopies made would have signatures and contact information removed.
If you wish to communicate with the Mayor or a Councillor without having your comments added to the public record, you may contact them directly.