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11 <br />This.section.highlights.youth.councils,.youth. <br />advisory.councils,.and.specially-mandated. <br />youth.positions.on.municipal.council.as.effec- <br />tive.mechanisms.to.engage.young.people.. <br />Establishing.a.municipal.youth.council.is.an. <br />exciting.way.to.engage.young.local.citizens. <br />and.encourage.them.to.participate.in.local. <br />affairs..It.also.offers.elected.municipal.offi- <br />cials.and.public.administrators.alike.a.formal. <br />means.to.include.youth.perspectives.in.the. <br />regular.debates.that.shape.local.policy.in. <br />municipalities.across.Canada.. <br />Because.young.leaders.that.join.youth.. <br />councils.have.the.ability.to.inform.local.. <br />policy.debates.in.a.meaningful.way,.they.. <br />are.motivated.to.encourage.their.peers.to.. <br />become.more.active.in.shaping.the.commu- <br />nity.and.raising.issues.that.matter.to.them... <br />If.young.citizens.in.your.community.see.their. <br />priorities.reflected.in.municipal.debates,.they. <br />are.likely.to.envision.a.future.working.for.the. <br />local.government.whose.goals.and.priorities. <br />build.a.healthy,.prosperous,.safe,.and.sustain- <br />able.place.for.them.to.live. <br />Initiatives to Improve <br />youth Participation in <br />municipal affairs <br />Youth Advisory Committees and <br />Mayors’ Youth Advisory Councils <br />Youth.advisory.committees.are.official.. <br />committees.that.report.to.municipal.council.. <br />They.are.expected.to.connect.with,.engage,. <br />and.represent.the.youth.who.live.in.the.. <br />municipality.by.setting.goals.and.priorities,. <br />hosting.public.committee.meetings,.and.. <br />referring.youth.issues.back.to.municipal. <br />council..In.many.municipalities,.the.youth.. <br />advisory.committee.may.be.established.. <br />as.the.mayor’s.youth.advisory.committee/ <br />council..Instead.of.advising.the.whole.of.. <br />municipal.council,.the.committee.is.respon- <br />sible.for.directly.advising.the.mayor.on.. <br />youth.issues.. <br />In.establishing.a.new.youth.committee.. <br />or.advisory.council,.the.most.significant. <br />procedural.change.for.municipal.councils.is. <br />scheduling.regular.and.predictable.sessions. <br />to.meet.with.these.new.committees..With. <br />this.in.mind,.municipalities.should.expect.to. <br />incur.some.nominal.costs.to.accommodate. <br />room.or.facility.bookings,.refreshments,.and,. <br />potentially,.transportation.costs. <br />Youth Representatives on <br />Municipal Councils <br />In.April.2014,.council.of.the.Town.of.Essex. <br />voted.to.allow.two.youth.representatives,. <br />selected.from.each.of.the.town’s.two.high. <br />schools,.to.sit.as.members.of.municipal.. <br />council..The.decision.to.create.two.youth. <br />council.positions.arose.from.the.efforts.of.. <br />a.working.committee.of.elected.councillors,. <br />the.chief.administrative.officer,.and.local. <br />students.who.felt.disconnected.from.their. <br />community..The.students.agreed.that.having. <br />youth.representatives.on.council.gives.elected. <br />officials.the.benefit.of.hearing.a.youth.per- <br />spectives..It.also.encourages.young.people.. <br />to.participate.in.the.decisions.that.affect. <br />them.and.their.futures. <br />Establishing.youth.positions.on.council.. <br />generally.requires.a.by-law.amendment.to.. <br />set.out.the.rules.of.order.and.procedure.. <br />for.council.and.its.committees..Because.the. <br />youth.representatives.are.unelected.and,. <br />therefore,.unaccountable.to.the.public,.. <br />the.by-law.amendment.restricts.them.from. <br />having.a.formal.vote,.attending.closed.council. <br />sessions,.or.being.involved.in.municipal.. <br />meetings.related.to.human.resource.or.. <br />property.negotiations..To.learn.more.about. <br />the.Town.of.Essex’s.Youth.Representatives.. <br />on.Council.initiative,.please.contact.their. <br />Chief.Administrative.Officer.