How can members of the public have their say, or participate, in local government?

All residents of Five Rivers are welcome and encouraged to have their say in their local government. The primary ways to get involved in your local government are as follows.

• Vote in elections. The next municipal election will be held in less than 12 months, in May 2026.
• Get informed. To do this, follow and/or attend regular Council meetings, which take place on the second Tuesday of every month at 6 PM at the municipal office at 82 Main Street in Rexton. Residents can also attend special meetings and committee meetings, for example, about operating budgets or by-laws. Note that all public meetings of Council are recorded and posted to the web.
• Provide feedback to Council. Residents can contact any member of Council in person or by phone or email to share concerns and compliments. Contact information for each Council member is listed on the municipal website.
• Provide feedback online. The municipal website enables residents (and even non-residents) to share feedback. We also have a Facebook page where we share information about the municipality.
• Speak to staff. In some cases, administrative staff may have the information you’re looking for about subjects such as sewer bills, waste collection, or current by-laws.
• Present to Council. Residents can apply to make a formal presentation to Council during a regular meeting of Council. Presentations can be up to 10 minutes in length and questions from Council may follow.
• Join committees. From time-to-time, Council may form committees that include residents. At present, the municipality will invite four members of the public to participate on a special Rural Plan committee that will determine the content of the first-ever Rural Plan for the new municipality of Five Rivers.
• Attend open houses. Earlier in 2025, the municipality hosted two open houses for the public to discuss the future of the Rexton Recreation Center. The municipality solicited feedback from the public at these open houses and captured that feedback in a report that can be downloaded from the municipal website.
• Volunteer. The municipality often host special events that benefit from the input and support of volunteers. If you are ready and willing to volunteer your time, contact Council or staff to see how you might make a difference to your community.