Defender of democracy, upholder of civility, resister of keyboard warriors.
Ward 3 Coun. Angela Caputo has taken on a caboodle of new callings connected to a Local Democracy Accelerator being established in the Sault as part of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario's Healthy Democracy Project.
Sault Ste. Marie has been chosen as one of just four Local Democracy Accelerator municipalities participating in the project.
The Healthy Democracy Project is intended to promote the value and importance of municipal governments in Ontario's political system, while focusing on the importance of diversity of leadership.
"I do think it's really important to bring back civility into politics," Caputo proclaimed at this week's city council meeting.
"Unfortunately, it seems we're living in the era of the keyboard warrior, and that seems to be dominating comment sections in local news, in elected officials, social media, emails and et cetera.
"And that needs to end. This practice should not be part of the job," Caputo said.
The councillor says that as an elected official, she's faced substantial online and in-person abuse.
"Potential candidates should not have to factor in fear of online hate in their decisions whether or not to run for elected office," she said.
"This program aims to change all that, and I'm proud to be a part of it and will continue to push to encourage voter turnout and to make municipal politics a safer place for all elected officials."
Here's the resolution that Caputo and Ward 2 Coun. Luke Dufour persuaded their fellow council members to pass on Monday:
AMO Healthy Democracy Partnership
Moved: Coun. A. Caputo
Seconder: Coun. L. Dufour
Whereas the Healthy Democracy Project is a board of directors supported and funded initiative through to 2024, meant to promote the value and importance of municipal governments across Ontario, while focusing on the importance of diversity of leadership and perspectives; and
Whereas AMO, as one initiative known as the Local Democracy Accelerator within the project, is working with four member municipalities to organize and convene community partners to identify challenges, adapt and test solutions, and share knowledge to strengthen democratic engagement across Ontario with five core goals:
- more local democratic and political engagement
- better appreciation for municipal government
- improved political civility and tone
- expand and diversify candidate pool
- increase voter turnout and voter diversity, and
Whereas Sault Ste. Marie was chosen as one of the four Local Democracy Accelerator municipalities to participate in this project.
Now therefore be it resolved that the City of Sault Ste. Marie commits to supporting AMO’s Healthy Democracy Project through the Local Democracy Accelerator by having elected officials and staff work with the Healthy Democracy Project team on this initiative at AMO to help identify local challenges and potential solutions,
Further be it resolved that the City of Sault Ste.Marie support its participation in the Local Democracy Accelerator through its own research into barriers to democracy, including, but not limited to:
- contacting current elected officials and staff to identify barriers to those working within these positions
- contacting former councillors, mayors and staff to identify barriers they may have faced
- contacting candidates who were not successful in their respective municipal elections to find their barriers, and whether or not they would consider running again
- contacting diverse communities within Sault Ste. Marie to identify if folks in those communities would consider engaging in local politics
- contacting diverse communities within Sault Ste. Marie to identify if folks in those communities would consider engaging in local politics
and to what degree. Should they choose not to, pursue reasons why they would not
Further that staff report back to council on these findings, potential programs, solutions and interventions that could be implemented in conjunction with AMO assistance/funding.