Municipal governments are the closest level of government to the citizens. They administer everything from police and fire services to roadway maintenance to bylaws related to businesses. You can’t renovate your home, open a business, or hold a festival without getting a permit from the local government. Assuming they grant it.
Municipal governments constantly go well beyond their mandates and into political rabbit holes that cause division, cost a fortune, and leave citizens enraged or scratching their heads. They fund bizarre public art installations that cost millions. They virtue signal on issues and make declarations by taking stances on international issues that have nothing to do with them. Edmonton declared itself a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants while Calgary went on an extended battle to illegalize certain kinds of soups.
Despite managing billions of tax dollars and imposing laws that impact everybody, municipal governments are the ones that voters pay the least attention to.
In the last federal election, over 62 percent of eligible voters came out to cast a ballot. In Alberta’s last provincial election, the turnout was 59 percent. Contrast that with municipal elections in some major cities. In Calgary’s last election, only 46 percent of citizens bothered to vote despite the mayor’s position being open. In Edmonton, 37 percent of voters cast ballots while in Toronto 38 percent took the time to vote.