The City of Kenora is looking to introduce a youth councillor to city council.
That’s in part to help improve engagement in municipal politics.
Akbar Imran is a corporate services assistant and says voter turnout for youth in the last municipal election was very low.
“In the 2022 municipal election, voter turnout among those between the ages of 18 and 24 in Kenora stood at just 27.56 percent,” Imran told city council on Tuesday.
“That is over 800 eligible youth, yet fewer than a third voted.”
Imran says creating a student councillor role is one of the proposals.
“This program allows non-voting high school students to sit at the council table. They attend meetings, submit written reports and speak on issues that matter to youth in Kenora.”
Imran has a number of other suggestions for Kenora city council, including more school visits, expanding the co-op program and changing the way it gives out bursaries to high school graduates.
