How to Write to Mayor and Council.
The City of New Westminster is fortunate, in that our elected representatives are part of the community, and are generally very accessible. They are always present at community events, and most have a very “open office” attitude about talking issues with residents.
However, it is important that residents remember that the Mayor and Councillors are regular people, and that they often have busy schedules and numerous commitments. Just like everyone else, they respond well when addressed politely and respectfully, and have patience limits when people are aggressive or accusing. The Golden Rule is a good guideline for any communications.
Elements of an effective letter to Mayor and Council:
1: Address any correspondence to “Mayor and Council”, or, if you choose, address separate letters to “Mayor Wright” and “Councillor Smith”, “Councillor Jones”, etc.
2: Sign the letters personally, and include your address and contact info. Elected officials are less likely to respond to an anonymous complaint than to a letter coming from a resident who will likely vote next election! Sometimes, the Mayor or Councillor will want to get back to you for clarification on an issue. Most importantly, by signing the letter, you are standing behind the statements you make, and are holding your elected officials to account.
3: Be Respectful. Make your point, but do it respectfully. Do not insult the Mayor or Council, or any third party. Do not make accusations or point fingers. Instead, address the problem and propose solutions. Threatening or harassing anyone, elected or otherwise, is not only illegal; it removes any credibility from anything else you may have to say.
4: Be Honest. When making statements in a letter, try to avoid speculation or hearsay. Do a bit of Internet research; search the council minutes or the local news to see what the facts are behind your issue. Try not to exaggerate an issue or embellish the truth with hyperbole. Be truthful, straightforward, and firm. Be clear when you are expressing your opinion, and when you are using factual information.
5: Be Brief. A letter to Mayor and Council is not the best medium to unleash all of your pent-up frustrations with society. We can all think of a dozen issues that “someone should fix” to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, if you include them all in one letter, none of the dozen stand out or get addressed. Keep your letter brief (one page or three paragraphs is a good maximum guideline), and stick to a single point. If you really need to attack more than one issue, write more than one letter.
Contact information:
All City contact info is available a this web site:
http://www.newwestcity.ca/city_hall/contacts/index.php
You can send a letter to the Mayor and Council, or to individual councillors by name, to this address:
511 Royal Avenue
New Westminster, BC V3L 1H9
Individual contact info:
Mayor Wayne Wright,
Phone: 604-527-4522.
FAX: 604-527-4594
E-mail: [email protected]
Councillor Jonathan Cote
604-526-4742; [email protected]
Councillor Bill Harper
778-227-4869; [email protected]
Councillor Jaimie McEvoy,
604-522-9114; [email protected]
Councillor Betty McIntosh,
778-773-0546; [email protected]
Councillor Bob Osterman,
604-521-7603; [email protected]
Councillor Lorrie Williams,
604-521-3416; [email protected]
