Preparing and submitting petitions in Halifax

Are you thinking about creating a petition to submit to Regional Council, a community council, a standing committee, or advisory board or committee, or commission? Learn about formats for petitions, mandatory information to include, and how to submit your completed petition.

What format should my petition be? Are online petitions accepted?

Petitions may be in any format as long as all the mandatory information (below) is included.

Need help? Download, print and use this “sample” petition form. [PDF]
 

What information do I need to include?

As the “originator” (creator) of the petition, you must include:
•    the purpose of the petition, including what outcome you’re looking for
•    your name, civic address, and either telephone number or email address 
•    the date the petition was started

What do people signing a petition need to include?

Everyone who signs must include their name, civic address, and signature. 
*Signatures are not required for online petitions.

All information contained in a petition is considered public information, including the names and addresses of everyone who signs it.

Submitting completed petitions

There are two ways to submit your completed petition: manually or electronically. However you submit the petition, make sure to tell the recipient whether you want your petition submitted to Regional Council, one of the three community councils, the six standing committees, or an advisory board or committee.

Manually submitting a petition in Halifax

Give the original hard copy of your completed petition to a member of Regional Council or to the Municipal Clerks Office. 

Submitting a petition electronically

There are several providers of online petitions that you may choose to make your petition. The municipality doesn’t recommend or endorse any specific method; whatever you choose must include all the mandatory information.

Multiple form emails sent to municipal email addresses are not accepted as a petition. You must compile the complete petition yourself, and then submit it once complete.

Once complete, you can submit your petition electronically in either of these two ways:
•    send a link to the completed petition to the Municipal Clerk’s Office
•    send a .csv file containing the completed petition data to the Municipal Clerk’s Office

The municipal email system has a size limit for attachments, and large attached files may exceed the capacity. If you’re having trouble emailing a large file, contact the Municipal Clerks Office to make other arrangements. 

What happens to my petition after I submit it?

Your petition will be presented at a meeting of Regional Council, community council, standing committee, or advisory board or committee. Then it’s up to the members to choose whether or not to take any action.  

After it’s been presented, the petition becomes public information and anyone may view it. You can ask to view a petition by contacting the Municipal Clerk’s Office.

Where can I find the official rules about petitions?

Rules about petitions are found in Administrative Order One, Section 47 [PDF]. Contact the Municipal Clerks Office if you have any questions.