The Strength of Local Government

Democracy traces its roots to Ancient Greece more than 2,500 years ago. One of the distinguishing features of Athenian democracy was its legislative assembly, in which eligible Athenian citizens participated directly in public decision-making. Rather than being governed through political parties or representatives acting under party discipline, citizens exercised their own judgment and cast their own votes. Although their rights were not protected in the way we understand constitutional rights today, they nevertheless enjoyed a remarkable degree of political liberty by participating directly in the governance of their city.

Canadians have become increasingly cynical about the political process and about politics in general. This growing disillusionment is reflected, in part, by declining voter turnout. Many citizens no longer feel that their individual voices carry the same weight in the democratic process. Party politics, so dominant at the federal and provincial levels, has contributed to this sentiment. Members elected to represent their constituencies often find themselves constrained by party discipline, making it difficult to advocate fully for the views of those who elected them.

Local government has, for the most part, avoided many of the pitfalls associated with party politics. One of its greatest strengths is that those elected to office are generally free to exercise independent judgement and represent their communities without direction from a party leader. That independence allows councillors to weigh each issue on its own merits and to vote according to their conscience and their understanding of the community's best interests.

Over the years, I have come to appreciate another important strength of this model. Testing my ideas against the perspectives of eight other council members has made me a more thoughtful and confident decision-maker. Rather than debating only two or three competing viewpoints, each of us may be challenged by as many as eight different perspectives. Through that respectful exchange of ideas, assumptions are tested, weaknesses exposed, and stronger decisions are more likely to emerge.

As political slates become more common in local government, it is worth remembering that one of municipal democracy's greatest strengths has always been the independence of those elected to serve.

Several years ago, I heard Rex Murphy describe communities as the "texture of the nation." I would extend that thought by suggesting that the diversity of independent voices within local government reflects the diversity of the community itself. It is that diversity of thought that gives each community its unique character and strengthens its democratic foundation. In a culturally diverse community such as Abbotsford, the importance of independent voices becomes even greater.

When nine men and women exercise independent judgment, each seeking what they sincerely believe to be in the community's best interests, the texture of that community is enriched and strengthened.