My Take: By Matthew McCully

I’ve been to quite a few municipal council meetings.
They usually go one of two ways.
Either the place is empty, the meeting takes a total of ten minutes, a bunch of motions get rubber stamped and everyone is home in time for a late dinner-or it’s standing room only, people cry foul, the council gets questioned on every word in the agenda, and everyone stumbles home hangry (you know, hungry and angry).
In both cases contentious bylaws get passed, either because no one was paying attention, or the hangry mobs just motivate councils to dig in their heels and push a project through.
Here’s the thing.
The onus always has and always will be on the citizen to pay attention, to question, and to engage in a democracy designed to serve and protect them, regardless of the outcome.
Let’s not give up that power.