Mayor introduces idea of Citizens' jury
November 23, 2009

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor Eisenberger to introduce motion for Public Consultation (“Citizens’ Jury”) on Area Rating Hamilton –

Mayor Fred Eisenberger has announced his intention to put forward a motion calling on Committee of the Whole to consider a ‘Citizen’s Jury’ process as part of the Area Rating Options Report.

“A Citizens’ Jury is an innovative approach to decision-making that invites citizens to have direct participation in the major decisions that will impact their lives”, Mayor Eisenberger said. “The Citizens’ Jury is a proven process showing that a group of informed citizens develops informed and reasonable recommendations.” "This approach seeks to move beyond the basic public meeting approach, which can easily be dominated by well-organized interest groups, to consultation " the Mayor added.

More specifically, a Citizens’ Jury would be comprised of citizens who are randomly chosen to deliberate on certain issues and provide recommendations to elected municipal officials and staff on how to move forward while blending competing interests to create a community solution. Upon completion, the Citizens’ Jury would report back to City Council to help the elected representatives make the ultimate decision on the issue.

The issue of Area Rating comes before Committee of the Whole November 24th. As part of the motion, Mayor Eisenberger will be asking staff to report back on the terms of reference, selection criteria and costs associated with a ‘citizens jury’. The Citizens' Jury process is considered to be one of the most effective means of reflecting public input on a complex and significant community issue. While not a new method of public engagement, it would be the first time the Citizens Jury process is considered by the City of Hamilton.

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Media Contacts:
Sofia Mavumba
Office of the Mayor
905-546-4106

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