Communicating with Halifax Regional Council

There are many ways for you to share your views with Regional Council.

 

Correspondence

The Municipal Clerk’s Office can help you with distributing correspondence to Regional Council, community councils, standing committees, and boards and committees.  

Your comments must include at least your first initial and last name—anonymous submissions will not be distributed.

Your written comments will be distributed to Members of Regional Council, community council, or board/committee, as well as to relevant staff. They will be kept on file as part of the official public record. 

As part of the public record, your comments will be distributed to other members of the public on request. Your signature and contact information will be removed before your comments are distributed to the public; however, your full submission may be viewed by request in the Municipal Clerk's Office.

Public Hearings

Learn about how public hearings work and how you can participate.

 

Presentations

You may make a short presentation during any regular meeting of community council and standing committee of council to share your thoughts directly with councillors - review the Public Participation information below.

Learn how to request to place a formal presentation on the agenda of an upcoming meeting. 

Petitions

Learn how to develop and submit a petition, and what happens to petitions after they’ve been submitted.

Public Submissions to Committee of the Whole on Budget

Committee of the Whole meetings on budget are held to consider the proposed budgets and business plans of the municipality for the next fiscal year. Time is given during each meeting to allow you to provide verbal comments about the budget to council.

Each person may speak for up to five minutes. If more than one person appears representing a group in relation to a particular topic, the Chair may require that you choose one person who will speak on behalf of the group.

If you have questions or would like more information, contact the Municipal Clerk’s Office.       

Public Participation - Community Councils and Standing Committees

Time is given at the end of each community council and standing committee meeting (except Appeals Standing Committee) for you to provide comments to councillors, through the Chair. All participants are asked to follow these guidelines:  

  • Each person may speak for up to five minutes.
  • Topics which are scheduled for an upcoming Public Hearing or Appeal Hearing may not be addressed during public participation.
  • Comments should be respectful, relevant to the type of meeting, and directed to the Chair.
  • If more than one person appears representing a group in relation to a particular topic, the Chair may require that you choose one person who will speak on behalf of the group.
  • Your name, community, and comments will be recorded in the minutes, and no further action will be taken that day. The members may or may not choose to take any action at a future meeting.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact the Municipal Clerk’s Office.                                                                                                       

Public Record

The Municipal Clerk’s Office maintains documents and information about Halifax Regional Council and the Halifax Regional Municipality. You have the right to request access to information held by the municipality; learn more.

Communication through the Municipal Clerk’s Office or at a public meeting of Regional Council, community council, standing committee, or boards and committees, creates a public record. Here’s information to be aware of if you wish to communicate with Halifax Regional Council:

  • All meetings are open to members of the public, including press, to attend.
  • Meetings of Halifax Regional Council and standing committees (excluding Appeals Standing Committee) are streamed live on Halifax.ca, with recordings available shortly after the meeting. 
  • Meetings of Regional Council are broadcast live on Eastlink TV. 
  • Correspondence, petitions, presentations, and submissions to public hearings, Committee of the Whole on budget, and public participation at community council and standing committee meetings all form part of the public record. 
  • When a member of the public speaks at a meeting, the minutes will include their name, community, and nature of their comments. Once approved, minutes are posted to Halifax.ca.
  • Written submissions to the Clerk’s Office are kept on file and may be viewed by or a copy released to the public by request. The public would be 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.

Contact a Councillor Directly

You can contact any member of Regional Council directly. Find out how to get in touch.