Speak to Council

To appear as a delegation, you must submit a formal request to the Clerk at least 10 days before the next scheduled Council meeting. Delegations are typically heard at Committee of the Whole meetings, held on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, Perth Town Hall. You may attend either in person or remotely. If your request is received after the deadline, it will be forwarded to the next available meeting, subject to time availability.

Delegation Guidelines:

• Delegations are limited to one appearance, unless providing additional information.
• Presentations must be no longer than 10 minutes.
• PowerPoint presentations are limited to 10 slides.
• A maximum of two speakers are allowed per delegation.
• No more than three delegations are scheduled per meeting.
• Delegations are heard at the start of Committee of the Whole meetings, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Delegations shall not:

• Address members directly without permission.
• Interrupt any speaker or action of the members or others addressing the members.
• Speak disrespectfully of any person or use offensive language.
• Disobey a decision of the Chair.
• Engage in cross-debate with other delegations, staff, Council, or the Chair.

Persons providing delegations to Council must adhere to the same rules of conduct as Council members, staff, and the public. No one shall speak disrespectfully or use offensive language or insulting expressions toward any member of Council, staff, or the public.

When submitting a delegation request to Council, please include the following:

• Your name
• Your contact information
• Preferred date
• The reason for your delegation
• Any relevant background information, including a brief summary and/or presentation for inclusion in the electronic Council package. If submitted electronically, your summary and/or presentation will be published with the Council agenda and meeting minutes.

If your submission is unclear, you will be contacted for clarification. Please note that if sufficient information is not provided or you refuse to disclose the reason for your deputation, you will not be permitted to appear before Council.

Your group can request to attend as a delegation; however, only two members are permitted to speak on the issue. The 10-minute time limit applies to both groups and individuals.

Council meetings are open to the public, and anyone is welcome to attend. You will be presenting in front of the Mayor and six Council members. Senior staff, including the Clerk and Chief Administrative Officer, may also be in attendance.

All comments during the meeting should be directed to the Chair, who presides over Council and controls the decorum and tone of the meeting. Please note that all open Council meetings, whether Regular or Special, are now live-streamed

In short, no.

The Meetings Procedural By-law requires a notice period. To meet the requirements for accountability and openness, sufficient notice needs to be provided so that members of the public are aware of what will be discussed at the meeting.

The purpose of a deputation is to provide information to Council. As a delegation, your role is to present your issue or perspective. After your presentation, Council may ask staff to further investigate the matter so that they can make an informed decision. You will be notified once a decision is made.

Anyone who has previously addressed Council on a topic will not be permitted a second deputation unless they can sufficiently demonstrate that new information is available to present.

To have your issue considered by Council, you can write a letter addressed to the Mayor and Council via the Clerk's Office. Your letter will appear as correspondence on an upcoming agenda and be circulated appropriately. This can be submitted by email to the Clerk and/or Deputy Clerk or by mail:

Town of Perth
Attn: Town Council c/o the Clerk's Office
80 Gore Street East
Perth, ON K7H 1H9

Alternatively, you can contact members of Council directly. Contact information can be found on the Mayor and Council page.