Burlington City Council Endorses Mayor Meed Ward's Nomination to AMO Large Urban Caucus Board of Directors
*NOTE: Please click the link for the full minutes from the May 25, 2020 Burlington City Council Meeting -- Post-Meeting Minutes - Regular Meeting of Council_May25_2020.On May 25, Burlington City Council unanimously approved a resolution endorsing my nomination, as Mayor, for a seat on the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Large Urban Caucus Board of Directors.The resolution was moved by Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan, and seconded by Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte. You can read the full resolution by clicking this link -- Resolution to Endorse Mayor Meed Ward for AMO Large Urban Caucus Board of Directors 2020 (ADM-06-20) -- or scrolling further down this post.Here is a chart that breaks down the structure of the AMO Board and Executive Committee: AMO-Board-Structure-2014-04-22.The AMO board consists of leaders in their respective communities, and contributes its vision, commitment and energy to advance the common interests for the good of all Ontario municipalities. It also sets AMO’s direction and adopts its policies and its priorities.The board includes 43 caucus members who are elected at the August AMO Conference for a two-year term -- elections will be held at this year's AMO Conference that has gone virtual due to COVID-19.The caucuses include (caucus in bold is the one I am running for a seat on):
- County Caucus (6 members);
- Large Urban Caucus (7 members);
- Regional & Single-Tier Caucus (7 members);
- Rural Caucus (6 members);
- Small Urban Caucus (6 members);
- Northern Caucus (6 members); and
- L'Association française des municipalités de l'Ontario (AFMO - 1 member).
The Chair of each caucus forms the Executive Committee that is made up of a: president, secretary-treasurer, past-president, and past secretary-treasurer.At the Halton Regional Council meeting on May 20, Milton Councillor Colin Best was endorsed for his nomination for re-election to the executive and chair seat on the Regional and Single Tier Caucus.Meanwhile for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), our own Councillor Nisan was endorsed for re-election to the Ontario Caucus and Board of Directors by Regional Council, while Councillor Clark Somerville was endorsed for the Committee Member seat at the FCM board.Burlington City Council Resolution:Whereas, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) works to make municipal governments stronger and more effective while promoting the value of the municipal level of government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada's political system; andWhereas, the AMO Board of Directors is comprised of elected municipal officials from various member municipalities; andWhereas, AMO has issued a call for nominations to their Board of Directors for the upcoming term of August 2020-August 2022; andWhereas, there is an opportunity to forge a closer relationship between LUMCO, the GTHA Mayors, and AMO through the Mayor's participation on the Large Urban Caucus; andWhereas, our municipalities are stronger in achieving shared goals when speaking with a unified voice;Therefore, be it resolved, that Burlington City Council endorses the nomination of Mayor Marianne Meed Ward to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Board of Directors, Large Urban Caucus for a two-year term beginning August 2020 and ending August 2022; andThat the City of Burlington's Government Relations fund will assume any costs associated with Mayor Meed Ward attending AMO’s Board of Directors, Large Urban Caucus meetings; andThat the City Clerk forward the resolution indicating City Council’s support to AMO before noon on June 22nd, 2020 to qualify Mayor Meed Ward as a nominee for a position on the AMO Board of Directors, Large Urban Caucus for a two-year term ending August 2022.MY TAKE:
-- Mayor Marianne Meed Ward