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Municipal Government in Canada
Municipal governments are local elected authorities. They include cities, towns and villages, and rural (county) or metropolitan municipalities. They are cr...
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
Municipal governments are local elected authorities. They include cities, towns and villages, and rural (county) or metropolitan municipalities. They are created by the provinces and territories to provide services that are best managed under local control; from waste disposal and public transit to fire services, policing, community centres and libraries. A municipal government’s revenue is raised largely from property taxes and provincial grants.
Municipal Structures
The administration of local government is handled by the municipal public service. It is made up of officials and employees appointed by an elected council and is organized into departments. Council members are politicians who are voted into office in municipal elections. School trustees and some other local officials are also elected, including parks representatives in cities such as Vancouver. Council members are generally non-partisan and run for office as individuals, rather than as part of a political party. This sets them apart from federal and provincial politicians, who take part in a party system.Municipalities employ large numbers of staff to look after roads; sewers; fire prevention; police; recycling and waste disposal programs; transit; parking enforcement; city recreation (parks, sports facilities, local paths); public health services; and by-law enforcement. Most municipal councils establish committees to direct and control the public service. Each committee makes recommendations to the municipal council. Committees deal with issues ranging from transportation to policing to finances.
Mayor
In some American cities, duties such as budget formation and appointment of administrators are the responsibility of the mayor. In Canada, the significance of the office of mayor does not stem from the assignment of such powers; but rather, from its high profile. In provincial statutes, the mayor is variously described as the “chief officer,” “chief executive officer” or “head of council.” The mayor may be high profile; but they have little power independent of the municipal council.
All provinces provide that the mayor shall be elected at large. This means that unlike councillors, they do not represent a specific geographic area or “ward” of the municipality. Canadian mayors generally preside at all council meetings. They are ex officio members of all committees and can make recommendations to the council.
Mayors also act as the point person during major civic emergencies. For example, the 2013 flooding in Calgary put Naheed Nenshi in the national spotlight while he led the city through the crisis. Mayors also help promote their cities to attract workers and tourists, and to promote local business.
Mayors also sometimes rise to higher political office. Ralph Klein, mayor of Calgary from 1980 to 1989, was later the Conservative premier of Alberta from 1992 to 2006. Glen Murray was the first openly gay mayor of a major North American city when he served as mayor of Winnipeg from 1998 to 2004. He later became a Liberal cabinet minister in the Ontario government.
