Picture this:
You live in an area that lost its sense of community generations ago. (So much so that you’d never think to call it a ‘neighbourhood.’)
With sky-high taxes, it should be pristine, but your kids can’t possibly play in the park. Wading through knee-high grass is not your ideal version of cardio, and the last time your son played there, the ancient jungle gym — which hasn’t had a good day since Mr. Dressup’s death — was the cause of an emergency tetanus shot.
So what are your children going to do? You’ll see them off to college before waitlists at the local rec centre (better known as the “wreck” centre) clear, and welcome them to join.
Your patience is wearing thin, as are the tires on your car — for the third time — since the roads have gaping potholes that seem to threaten to swallow you whole. Construction starts, stops, then starts again with no warning or end in sight, but with so much happening, you can’t be bothered to try to fix things — it’s gone on for far too long.
Fortunately, most municipalities don’t look like this, but a well-run municipality depends on more than luck; it requires engaged residents and effective local government.
Responsible for making decisions that influence property taxes, roads, parks, recreation programs, libraries, development, transit, and infrastructure, effective local government doesn’t happen by accident.
In Ontario, one of the key components is the Town Council.
In Innisfil, Ontario, residents live in one of seven wards. An elected official represents the constituents of each ward for a four-year term and serves as a point of contact for residents who are encouraged to talk to their Town Councillor about their concerns, so their viewpoints can be represented. They also help residents navigate the system, in addition to balancing their ward’s interests with the municipality’s interests as a whole. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Innisfil also sit on the County Council, where they help represent the municipality at the county level alongside leaders from the county’s other municipalities.
In addition to serving as the chief executive officer of the municipality, while taking a leadership role on Town Council, the Mayor will “act as the representative of the municipality both within and outside the municipality, and promote the municipality locally, nationally and internationally,” according to the provincial government.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) explains that “Councils make decisions on behalf of the municipality by setting the budget, approving strategic plans, setting policies and procedures, and establishing programs and services. Municipal staff advise council and implement their decisions by implementing the policies and programs.”
How can you get involved?
Talk to your Town Councillor, as well as the Deputy Mayor and Mayor of Innisfil. Attend a council meeting, and sign up to speak if you’re passionate about a particular subject.
With so much riding on municipal politics, civic engagement is important, but with a reported voter turnout rate of only 24.26% in the 2022 municipal election, the opportunity for improvement is high. (Especially when you compare it to the 69% voter turnout reported in the last federal election in April 2025.)
While there will always be improvements to be made — and no system, especially a system of government, is perfect — have a say in who represents you by voting in the municipal election on October 26, 2026, because local decisions shape daily life.
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© 2026 Amber Green (AmberGreen.ca). All rights reserved.
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