Appearing Before Council

The Town of Whitby welcomes you to address Council on issues that are under consideration at meetings. You may attend a meeting to speak to an item included on a meeting agenda by submitting a delegation request. Please note that delegations at Council meetings are only permitted if an issue wasn't previously considered at a Standing Committee meeting or in instances where the effect of a staff recommendation was altered by a Standing Committee.

Our Committee and Council meetings are held in a hybrid in-person and virtual format. If you're appearing at a meeting, you can choose to attend in-person or virtually. You can watch Committee and Council meetings on our live stream feed available on the Council and Committee Meeting calendar. 

Request a delegation

Request to speak at a meeting by completing the Delegation Request Form. You may also provide written correspondence about the topic you wish to discuss.

Please include the following information in your request:

• Your name and contact information
• Meeting date
• Topic you wish to discuss on the agenda
• Copy of your presentation (if applicable)
• Any background information

If you're unable to access a computer to complete this request, please call 905.430.4300 to speak with a Staff Member.

Submission deadline

You must submit your Delegation Request Form by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the meeting. 

Written correspondence must be submitted by email by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. 

Please note

Delegations at Council meetings are only permitted if an issue wasn't previously considered at a Standing Committee meeting or in instances where the effect of a staff recommendation was altered by a Standing Committee.

If you're interested in speaking at a statutory public meeting, you are encouraged to register with the Office of the Town Clerk.

Personal Information Notice
Please note that the names of delegates as well as the municipality in which they reside or the organization they represent (if applicable) are published on the Town's website as part of Committee/Council Agendas and Minutes. Personal information, including opinions and views contained in delegations and written comments to Whitby Council or its Committees is collected under the authority of the Municipal Act, 2001 and in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Any personal information you choose to disclose in your delegation or written comments will be used to receive your views on the relevant issue(s) to enable the Town to make its decision on the matter.

Denied delegation

If your delegation request does not meet the requirements of the Procedure By-law and is denied, you can take the following steps to bring forward your request:

• Approach the department responsible to inquire if they may be bringing the information forward in a staff report to a Standing Committee. If a report will be brought forward, you may submit a delegation request for the Standing Committee in which the report will be heard.
• If the department will not be bringing a report forward, you may submit a letter to the Town Clerk addressing your request for inclusion on the weekly Council Information Index.
• You may contact your local Councillor and they may wish to request the item from the Council Information Index be brought forward to a Standing Committee meeting. If the matter is brought forward on an agenda, you may submit a delegation request for the Standing Committee in which the matter will be heard.

Conduct at meetings

In accordance with the Procedure By-law, when you appear at a meeting, you must not:

• Speak disrespectfully of any person, including Town staff and Members of Council
• Speak on any subject other than the subject for which you have received approval to speak before Council or Committee
• Disobey the decision of the Mayor or meeting Chair or Council/Committee