Mayor & Council

Council’s primary role is to ensure services are provided to residents and property owners; Council is elected to make decisions for the municipality about services, policies and programs. Council members have an equal voice at the council table – every council member has one vote. A majority vote is required to make a council decision. A council decision is the decision of the municipality.

Council is required by The Municipal Government Act to make decisions that are in the best interests of the municipality as a whole. Individual council members elected must consider the needs of the entire municipality.

Council may delegate certain powers, duties, or functions to the head of the council; the Chief Elected Official (Mayor), a council committee, the Chief Administrative Officer or another designated officer for the municipality. There is, however, no authority to delegate powers, duties or functions to an individual council member. This means that individual council members have no authority to make a decision on behalf of the municipality; if they do, they may be held legally liable.

The Municipal Government Act establishes the following Council responsibilities:

• Developing and evaluating the policies and programs of the municipality;
  • Council’s primary role is to ensure services are provided to residents and property owners. This involves establishing policies about what programs and services are to be delivered, the level of those services, and how those services are to be delivered.
  • Council is also responsible to ensure that these programs and services meet their objectives and deliver the desired outcomes.
  • Council will develop strategic plans with Administration to guide these responsibilities and determine areas of improvement. The Municipal Growth Plan provides a sound basis for time-lined decision-making and can ensure that strategic plans as outlined are consistently implemented by the municipality’s administration, and are clear to council, administration, and the public.
• Ensuring that the powers, duties and functions of the municipality are appropriately carried out Council is accountable to the public for the decisions it makes. Council is also responsible for ensuring that the municipality operates in an open and transparent manner.
• Carrying out the powers, duties and functions expressively given to Council under the Act or any other legislation
  • Council is responsible to ensure that the municipality acts within the legislation. Council is responsible to ensure that the municipality meets all requirements established in legislation, such as the requirement to hold public meetings on certain matters, maintain roads, develop an annual financial plan (budget) and pass a tax levy by-law, appoint an auditor, etc.

The legislation establishes minimum requirements however Council can go beyond these minimums, providing they act within their broad, legislative authority.

The Chief Elected Official is the head of council, and called the Mayor. Mayor is the main spokesperson for the municipality when expressing the municipality’s position to the public or the media, and when attending community events unless this is directed to be completed by a Councillor.

Responsibilities of the Mayor (under The Municipal Government Act) include:

• Provide leadership and direction to council;
• preside over all Council meetings and Committee meetings when in attendance, except where the municipality’s procedures by-law provides otherwise;
• act as a signing authority for the municipality;
• the calling a special council meeting;
• responsible for all municipal decisions and actions under The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The Mayor also has all the responsibilities of a council member, discussed below.

Individual council members, including the Mayor, also have responsibilities under The Municipal Government Act, including:

• considering the well-being and interests of the municipality as a whole. All council members have a responsibility to the whole of the municipality.
• Participating in developing and evaluating policies that direct planning, financing, and municipal services.
• Participating in and voting at Council meetings, Committee meetings, and on other bodies to which appointed. Council members are expected to attend and be actively involved in the business of those meetings.
• Keeping municipal matters confidential until they are discussed at a meeting open to the public. The consequence of breaching confidentiality is disqualification from council.