As part of being an open and accessible government, the City of Brampton encourages public participation in its decision-making process. Help us make important decisions. We welcome your comments, ideas and participation.
Here are a few ways to become involved in City matters.
Attend public meetings.
The Mayor, Councillors or City staff may host public meetings to share information about a topic of particular interest to the community and to obtain public comments. Public meetings and informal information sessions are also part of the development application review process.
Attend decision-making meetings of Council & Committee.
Council and its committee meetings are open to the public. Everyone is welcome to attend.
NOTE: See Guide for Participation in an Electronic Council/Committee Meeting during COVID-19 pandemic emergency.
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- What topics will be discussed at Council?
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Much of the discussion actually happens in committees. Council is the decision-making body that approves or rejects committee recommendations. Membership and mandates of Council and its various committees provides further description of their roles.
Agendas are generally published on Friday afternoon, the week before a meeting. They include links to any related staff reports.
- How are decisions made?
Council is the decision-making body that approves or rejects committee recommendations. Meetings are conducted in accord with the rules of order in City’s Procedure By-law. - How can I be part of the process?
Everyone is welcome to attend Council and committee meetings, and share their perspectives. The calendar of meetings is published here, and the agendas are generally published on the Friday before each meeting.
The City Clerk's Office will receive written comments about topics on an agenda and include them with the meeting material distributed to members. Note that these comments become part of the public record of the meeting. There are other ways to be involved, and some are suggested below. - How do I get an opportunity to speak to Council?
To request permission to speak at a meeting, submit a delegation request form to the Clerk’s Office. You will be contacted about scheduling.
The general process is as follows:
- The City Clerk will arrange for you to speak at a committee meeting. At these committee meetings, the committee hears from the public, asks questions, receives advice from staff and experts, discusses issues, and develops recommendations for approval at a regular Council meeting.
- At regular Council meetings, recommendations from the committees will be received, discussed and approved.
- Will Council accept a request to make an announcement?
An announcement request form is available to help you provide the City Clerk's Office with the relevant information. Announcements at Council meetings require sponsorship from a Member of Council.
You can complete it online and email it to cityclerksoffice@brampton.ca
- What is the deadline for being placed on an agenda?
To speak about a topic that is not on a future meeting’s agenda …
- Written notice is accepted until Tuesday, at 4:30 p.m., the week prior to a meeting. Please use the delegation request form to provide the required information to the Clerk’s Office.
- The Clerk's Office will contact you after the agenda published to confirm your item.
- Requests to speak about a topic at a Council meeting, that is not on the meeting agenda, are normally directed to the appropriate committee meeting.
To speak about an item that appears on a published agenda…
- Please contact the City Clerk's Office, preferably in writing, with your request to speak.
- City Clerk's Office staff maintains a list of requests (in the order of receipt) and provides the list to the Mayor or Chair prior to or at the start of the meeting.
- When is the next Council meeting?
Council generally meets the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Check the list of Council and committee meeting dates. - Do I have to register in order to attend a meeting?
Council and its committees are open to the public and you do not have to register.
If you attend a statutory public meeting on a Planning matter, you will be asked to provide contact information for follow-up. - If I am unable to attend, how will I know what took place at a meeting?
You can watch past Council and Committee meetings on Brampton's YouTube Channel - or you can read the minutes of both Council and committee meetings online, after they are approved by Council. - What is Public Question Period?
Public Question Period is a 15 minute period at the end of each Council and committee meeting. It is an opportunity for any person attending the meeting to come forward and ask a question about decisions and recommendations made by Council and committee, respectively, during the meeting.
The person asking the question states their name (for the public meeting record) and briefly asks a question about the decisions made at that meeting. A Member or Council or staff will provide an answer immediately at the meeting, or if required, will provide the information directly to the person after the meeting.
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Citizen Appointments to Serve our City.
The City has a number of committees, tribunals and appointments that require citizen leadership, participation and expertise.
From time to time, the City may be seeking applications to appoint citizen members to various committees for the 2018-2022 term of Council. Please see below for information regarding current position openings and the application process.
Citizen-based Advisory Committees APPLICATION FORM (pdf)
Adjudicative Committees Administrative Tribunals APPLICATION FORM (pdf)
and Related Appointments
Throughout the term of Council, when there are vacant appointment positions to be filled by Council, the City Clerk publishes a notice inviting applications.
Previous (and closed) public notices inviting applications: