GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE DUTIES OF A MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS? counterpart. A mayor for a city or town in the U.S. may have direct responsibility for creating the annual municipal budget and for appointment of administrative staff, but that may not be true for a Canadian mayor. “The mayor may be high profile,” stated the CA article, “but, in fact, has little power independent of the municipal council.”
Next month, one or more of the eight municipalities in Prescott and Russell counties could have a new mayor and new councillors. One question anyone who seeks public office should keep in mind is: What do I do? “There is no ‘job description’ for mayors,” says Kate Graham, a political scientist studying and teaching at the University of Western Ontario. For many years, Graham has been asking herself the same question. She launched The Mayors Project two years ago, at www.mayorsproject.ca, as an online addition to her research on municipal government in Canada, and has already presented one thesis paper on the position of mayor in local government in Canada as part of her doctoral degree work. All of her research will result in a political science textbook, next year or later, about the role of the mayor in Canadian politics. According to Graham, “there are more than 50 pieces of provincial legislation in Canada prescribing duties of mayors, not including municipal bylaws and policies.” The Canadian Encyclopedia article (CE) on municipal government in Canada noted that the position and definition of a mayor in this country differs from its American
According to the Ontario Municipal Act (OMA), the role of the head of council, or mayor, is “to act as chief executive officer of the municipality” and also to provide leadership to council, “preside over council meeting so that its business can be carried out efficiently and effectively”, promote public involvement in municipal activities, and to represent the municipality, both at home and outside of the area, helping to promote events and activities “that enhance the economic, social, and environmental well- being of the municipality and its residents.” The OMA’s definition of a mayor agrees with results, so far, of Graham’s own research, including reviews of legislation from all 10 provinces and interviews with people across Canada. A Canadian mayor is not someone who rules but who leads. Leadership jobs for mayors “Essentially, people define the role of mayor as a leader,” she said, adding that mayors are expected to show leadership in three main areas.
Les candidats qui briguent un siège sur leur conseil local, que ce soit en tant que maire ou conseiller ordinaire, doivent se poser une question pendant qu’ils font campagne pour obtenir des votes. Cette question est la suivante: quel sera leur travail réel une fois qu’ils seront élus? —photo archives
First is being a political leader, which means working with council, or with other mayors, on issues and concerns, and “building cohesion.” The second leadership role is as the chief executive for the municipality, which may involve some administrative duties, “from signing off on the Ontario Works cheques to declaring a local state of emergency”, but does not mean being hands-on with the day-to-day operations at the municipal office or the public works yard or other municipal departments. Third is being a community leader, “speaking for the community and presenting its vision” as the chief representative for the community. “Mayors are not often great in all three of these roles,” said Graham. “They tend to gravitate towards one or another.” Council represents people This leaves room for one or more members of council, she noted, “to shine” in one of the other leadership roles, and so help the mayor to build cohesion on council for better policy and planning decisions that benefit the community. Graham indicated that in Canada, there are “similar expectations” for a councillor as there are for a mayor. “They make sure that constituents get their garbage picked up, their streets cleared of snow, and whatever municipal services and programs are available.” The OMA also defines the role of council as a whole, which means both the mayor and each individual councillor, is “to represent the public and to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality” and that includes developing policies and programs to benefit the municipality, trying to figure out and help plan for what the municipality needs, making sure all the necessary
resources are available to achieve and pay for those goals, and that everything is done in an open, transparent and public manner. Rowing the boat The Ontario Municipal Act provides a clear distinction between what the mayor and council does and what the municipal administration does. Mayor and council represent the community and “develop and evaluate the policies and programs of the municipality.” They do not micromanage municipal operations. Dealing with the day-to- day business of the municipality’s business is the job of the administration. “It is the role of the officers and employees of the municipality,” states the OMA, “to implement council’s decisions and establish administrative practices and procedures to carry out council’s decisions, to undertake research and provide advice to council on the policies and programs of the municipalities, and to carry out other duties required under this or any Act, and other duties assigned by the municipality.” The OMA goes on to list and define the different members of a municipal administration, from the chief administrator to the municipal secretary, and their roles. What the OMA emphasizes is that administration manages the regular operations of a municipality and provides mayor and council with advice, backed up by expert research, to help them decide on policies and plans for the present and future benefit of the community. A boating metaphor explains the difference. “People often say ‘Council steers and Administration rows,’” Graham said, with a chuckle.
Quel est le travail d’un maire et du conseil au Canada? La recherche de la politologue Kate Graham suggère que le public croit que les maires et le conseil devraient être des chefs de file dans la planification des politiques et des programmes qui profitent à l’ensemble de la collectivité et non à la microgestion des affaires quotidiennes de la municipalité. —photo provided
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