As part of Delta's commitment to openness and transparency, the City has established an internal Citizen Advocate. Similar to an internal ombudsperson, Delta’s Citizen Advocate will hear from residents who may bring forward concerns about a range of City services and provide a secondary opportunity for review.
Goals of the Citizen Advocate
- Provide an opportunity for people with concerns about City services to be heard
- Conduct efficient and effective impartial reviews
- Facilitate reasonable and practical resolutions or outcomes
- Support staff through challenging issues or interactions
- Ensure Delta residents receive great service
The Citizen Advocate Follows these Guiding Principles
- Impartiality
- Professional and thorough
- Listen effectively
- Treat people with respect
Scope of the Citizen Advocate
The Citizen Advocate is empowered to review concerns and enquiries related to decisions on a range of City services. The Citizen Advocate has no authority to override bylaws or cancel tickets or bylaw notices issued by the City – there is a separate adjudication process for these matters. The Citizen Advocate will also not review enquiries or complaints relating to a decision of Delta Council or a set public policy, but will track the nature of concerns and enquiries and provide recommendations to the City Manager for proactive change as appropriate.
Following the review process, the Citizen Advocate will make recommendations to the City Manager, ensuring that fairness, transparency, and accountability are maintained. The Citizen Advocate can determine that the original decision was appropriate or make recommendations to the City Manager for change.
How to be Heard
If you have a concern or want another method to be heard, please contact Delta’s Citizen Advocate, Mr. Arvind Sharma, by email at citizenadvocate@delta.ca or call 604-946-3258. This service is free of charge. Note, concerns must be raised within 30 days of the occurrence of the issue. Please consider the following:
- Clearly explain the issue and what you’d like the outcome to be
- Outline what attempts you have already made to resolve the issue before reaching out to the Citizen Advocate
- Exercise your right to be heard, but please remain calm and polite
- Keep copies of pertinent documents and all necessary information