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Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – May 15, 2023 – Where Are These ‘TellCityHall’ Automated Calls Coming From?

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward Mailbag

Welcome to the Mayor’s Monday Mailbag, an initiative Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor’s Office launched to share weekly answers to questions from the public we’ve received through our main email inbox at mayor@burlington.ca or the Mayor’s social media platforms.

At the end of the month, we publish a roundup of those most pressing questions we’ve received in the weeks prior.

Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – May 15, 2023

QUESTION:

“I received an automated call from ‘TellCityHall’ — are these coming from Burlington City Hall?”

ANSWER:

If you’ve received an automated phone call recently where the call display read “TellCityHall,” it didn’t come from Burlington City Hall.

We received feedback from the public regarding these calls initially in 2019 and it appears they have been recently popping up again.

TellCityHall is a market research company based out of Edmonton, Alta., that does surveys for the private and public sector. In 2019, the company was conducting a few surveys with the public, including ones on the carbon tax and cannabis.

“Random digit dialing” is done for their surveys. Its website also mentions they serve governments and non-profits. There is no affiliation with the City of Burlington.

We thank the members of our community who have reached out to alert us of these calls.

It is important the public is always informed, particularly when it comes to digital/phone surveys.  If you have or someone you know has received a similar call from TellCityHall, please note it is not from your elected officials or staff here at the City of Burlington.

You can also help spread the word to others so that they’re aware, as well.

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A Better Burlington began in 2006 after my neighbours said they felt left out of city decisions, learning about them only after they’d been made. As journalist for 22 years, I thought “I can do something about that” and a website and newsletter were born. They’ve taken various forms and names over the years, but the intent remains: To let you know what’s happening at City Hall before decisions are made, so you can influence outcomes for A Better Burlington. The best decisions are made when elected representatives tap the wisdom of our community members, and welcome many different perspectives.This site allows residents to comment and debate with each other; our Commenting Guidelines established in 2016 aim to keep debate respectful. Got an idea or comment you want to share privately? Please, get in touch:

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