Has the city politicized the Citizens Recognition Award process? Looks like they might have.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  September 13, 2012  We didn’t notice the appointment at first, the city has an awkward process of treating the names of people as confidential and making them public once they’ve been approved by Council.  The sheet of paper with the names on it gets handed out at the end of a meeting and at times they don’t have copies for everyone at the media table.  Whatever, I missed the list.

Burlington has a Committee that accepts nominations for Civic Recognition in a number of categories: Youth, the Arts, Senior of the year and Citizen of the year.  The award has been given since 1965; one of the nicer events the city holds.  The Civic Recognition Committee is comprised of 10 voting members, including: 6 citizens from the community, and four representatives from media and information agencies.

The event takes place, usually in May of each year .  It is the one event that we do not cover as media; we buy our ticket and sit in the room as citizens recognizing honouring those who have served the city.

Keith Strong – recruited Jane McKenna as the Progressive Conservative candidate for Burlington then helped manage her winning campaign. Strong appears to have gotten McKenna on to the Citizen’s Recognition Award committee as well.

This is a citizens event – it is not a political event.  But this time out the people who were placed on the committee that reviews the submissions and chooses the winner in each category has a distinct political flavour to it – and that isn’t good for the process which was to recognize people who have made Burlington a better city no matter what their political stripe.

Most people have a political persuasion – but they are not “politicians”.  They believe in an approach to government that is different than what others believe.

In October of 2010 the Clerks Department placed advertisements in the Update section of the Burlington Post seeking volunteers to fill vacancies on various local boards and citizen committees. In response to the advertisement, applications were received from a number of individuals expressing interest in the committees.

Part of the city’s Strategic Plan is to “engage citizens more effectively in City Council’s decision making processes”.  Through citizen committees and boards, Burlington residents are provided the opportunity to offer Council advice and recommendations on various matters and/or organize activities that strengthen the community’s connection to the municipality.

The selection process for the Burlington Civic Recognition Committee was undertaken in February, 2011. The interview team for the committee was comprised of Committee Chair and its Past Chair.  Staff from the Clerk’s Department also assisted with the process. The number of applicants this year did not exceed the number of available positions.

The interview team’s recommendation was based on the committee’s needs as well as the applicant’s knowledge of the role, relevant skills and experience, expressed dedication / commitment / time availability, and communication skills.

On February 24, 2011, the Council made the names for the Burlington Civic Recognition Committee public.  Each person is to serve for a term that expires December 31, 2013 or until their successor is appointed, which suggests the appointee could be there for a very long time.

Does a sitting politician belong on a Citizen’s recognition committee? Jane McKenna now sits on the Board that chooses those who are to be recognized based on the nominations sent in.

Lisa Boyko, Linda Cupido, Bob Hilton, Jane McKenna, Ann Coburn and Keith Strong were appointed.

Strong was the previous chair of the committee so he was re-appointed.

Jane McKenna was recruited as the Ontario Progressive Conservative candidate for Burlington by Keith Strong who was heavily involved in her campaign.  McKenna went on to win the seat during the provincial election.

A number of people who are recognized for their contribution to the city go on to serve in a political capacity.  That’s fine.  But to put a sitting politician on a committee that is there to recognize others adds a political strain to a process that is there to recognize people for what they have done – not for which political party they favour.

Staff at city hall should have seen this one for what it is – political manipulation.  We can do better than this.


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