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Democratic life

Understanding municipal governance and participating in local democracy

Democratic life in Hampstead is based on an elected Municipal Council responsible for administering the Town and making decisions in the collective interest. It is reflected through transparent governance practices, access to public information, and opportunities for residents to participate in Council meetings.
This page provides an overview of how the Municipal Council operates, how meetings are conducted, and how residents can stay informed and take part in the democratic process.

Municipal Council Meetings

Council meetings are public and offer residents an opportunity to learn about municipal decisions and engage with elected officials.

How the Municipal Council operates

The Municipal Council is composed of the Mayor and elected councillors. It exercises the Town’s decision-making authority, adopts by-laws, approves budgets, and sets major municipal priorities.

Council decisions are made collectively within a legal and regulatory framework and are documented in official records available to the public.

Municipal Council meetings

Regular Council meetings are public and are generally held once a month at 7:00 p.m., at 30, Rue Lyncroft.

Meetings are also broadcast online. The webcast link is shared on the Town’s website and official Facebook account, allowing residents to attend remotely.

Citizen participation process

Two question periods are held during Council meetings to allow residents to participate.

The first question period takes place at the beginning of the meeting and allows residents to raise general topics, in accordance with established rules governing time, order, relevance, and respect.

The second question period, held at the end of the meeting, focuses on the agenda items discussed during the meeting.

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