What is the procedure for submitting petitions to County Council?

A petition is a formal written request presented by members of the public to Northumberland County Council with respect to a particular issue relevant to a County service and within the authority of Council.

Northumberland County is committed to citizen engagement and supports petitions as a tool for members of the public to participate in municipal government and provide input to Council, enhancing Council’s decision-making process. The Council Procedural By-law 39-2023 outlines petition requirements in order to ensure the legitimacy of information being provided to County Council for decision making.

Petition requirements include:

Petitions may be submitted to the Clerk and will include a minimum of two (2) persons including their respective addresses and on each page a clear statement of purpose for the Petition;
Only petitions relevant to County Services will be presented to Council;
The County is not accountable for the accuracy or reliability of petitions that are submitted;
Petitions must contain original signatures only, written directly on the petition;
The petition must clearly disclose on each page that it will be considered a public document;
All petitions that meet the above standards will be presented to Council or to a Standing Committee at the next regular meeting, or the meeting at which the subject of the petition is to be discussed; and
All petitions, unless otherwise disposed of by Council, be referred to the appropriate staff member without any motion or debate unless otherwise ordered by Council.
Correspondence, including petitions, form part of the public record. For this reason, petitions are required to include a telephone number or email address for each signer to allow for confirmation, as outlined in the Council Procedural By-law.

Upon receipt of a petition, the Clerk will evaluate the petition to ensure that all requirements are met. The Clerk is available to assist members of the public with developing a petition that meets the requirements outlined in the Council Procedural By-law.

Petitions that adhere to the Council Procedural By-law will be reviewed at a public meeting of Committee / Council, and the petition will be placed entirely on a public meeting agenda, including contact information of each signer.

Are the requirements outlined in the Council Procedural By-Law new requirements?

The petition requirements outlined in the Council Procedural By-law have been in place for a number of years now, to ensure petitions follow best practices for documentation and informed decision-making.

The Council Procedural By-Law was recently amended to limit electronic participation of Committee / Council Members at Standing Committee and County Council meetings, however no changes were made regarding the requirements for petitions.

Why doesn’t the County accept electronic petitions?

While staff will be bringing a report to County Council in late 2024 on opportunities to enhance the Procedural By-law pertaining to petition requirements to include provisions for electronic submissions, the by-law currently requires that “petitions must contain original signatures only, written directly on the petition”. Thus, the County does not accept digital signatures on petitions.

The Procedural By-Law was established to ensure the integrity of Council proceedings and the legitimacy of information which County Council can rely on for decision making.

Many municipalities do not accept petitions from third-party petition websites, as they may pose the following concerns regarding legitimacy, consent and privacy:

Individuals and organizations from anywhere in the world can start petitions on a designated third-party website, and petitions are electronically signed by anyone with access to the website.
Third-party petition websites lack identify verification, and controls to prevent against false names and contact information being submitted, duplicate signatures, and defamatory statements / comments.
Third-party petition websites do not allow for oversight or regulation to validate signatures as independent, verifiable signatories. Due to the lack of verification and security controls, third-party platforms can create issues with the integrity of the information being presented in the petition.
There is a risk of the number of signatories on a third-party petition site being inflated by people who are not from the local community, or people who are not affected by the matter being petitioned for.
The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act also restricts institutions from collecting personal information indirectly. While the act permits an individual to authorize another manner of collection, this poses a problem with respect to petitions from a third-party petition site, as these sites do not typically include specific authorizations, and do not provide the notices required under the Legislation.

If residents would like to share comments or feedback regarding a consultation, through an online format, we encourage residents to use the tools provided through our Join In Northumberland platform or reach out to staff via email to provide their feedback.

Why do we need a disclosure on each page to indicate the petition will be considered a public document?

The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) applies to local government, and municipalities are required to ensure compliance with MFIPPA and the protection of personal privacy. Petitions include personal information, including an individual’s name, address, telephone number, and the personal opinions or views of the individual. It is a critical requirement that petitions contain a disclosure on each page of the petition to indicate that it will be considered a public document, as signatories to a petition waive all expectation of privacy.