Hoping to hold political office? A board or committee is often 'a good first step', says city CAO

Many people in Sault Ste. Marie and beyond would like to have their voices heard at the political level and make a positive difference in the community. But for most of us, voting alone does not feel significant enough and running for public office would not be feasible. The alternative, then, is to become involved with a local board of governors or committee.

A board is a decision-making body which supervises the work of an organization and makes managerial decisions. In Ontario, boards usually get their legislative authority from provincial legislation or a decision at the municipal council level.

“If we look at things municipally, there are boards and committees of council. That’s a group of boards and committees that are created by council,” Malcolm White, the city's chief administrative officer, told SooToday.

These bodies are creatures of statute and “have a formal role.”

White has worked in the city since 1988. His most recent prior position was leading the city clerk's department, “so we [dealt] a lot with boards and committees of council.”

Cities look for board members after a municipal election.

“During the fall of a municipal election year – which will be next year – the city will advertise and put out notices as to what it’s looking for regarding applications to boards and committees.

“It will note what boards and committees there are, what it’s looking for as far as numbers of people, whether they’re citizens whether they need specific skills or attributes to serve on a committee.”

One such organization is the Historic Sites Board (HSB), which governs the Ermatinger-Clergue National Historic Site. Kathy Fisher is the curator of the Ermatinger-Clergue Site and sits on HSB meetings.

She sat down with SooToday to discuss the day-to-day work of a board.

“Meetings are once a month. Many board members volunteer for projects and/or events,” she said. “Working with the HSB is mostly administration and advisory. The HSB is an appointed board by council to oversee the operations of the Ermatinger-Clergue N.H.S., and advise council on matters of Historic integrity along with the Municipal Heritage Committee."

Fisher said that the board holds meetings once a month. Since the start of the pandemic, members have moved to video calling. She also mentioned an ongoing project of the board.

“Currently, the HSB and the city are working on a restorative/capital construction project on the Old Stone House, which will fix and preserve the foundation, chimneys, and windows.”

Community members interested in joining a board are encouraged to find an area of interest.

The municipal government’s website lists a number of boards and committees which appoint community members.

“I would always strongly advise people to go to the city’s website and go to the area of boards and committees,” said CAO White, “where you can go through the list of boards and committees. It’s fairly extensive.

“You can look at their agendas, you can look at their meeting minutes, you can look at their terms of reference, and really get familiar with what the committee does. And whether you think that would be a good fit for you.”

Once one is serious about joining a committee, White suggested reaching out to the staff resource worker, whose contact information is also listed on the same website.

Moreover, White noted the benefits of sitting on one of these organizations, “Often, [sitting on a board or committee] is a great way for people who have aspirations to have political office… it’s often a good first step to be appointed to a board or committee.”

He also pointed to the fact that it may be a source of experience for youths that one cannot get from one’s job.