Municipal Goverment

The Community Charter sets out the roles and responsibilities of Council. In Port Clements, it is made up of 5 members, with one (1) Mayor and four (4) Councillors. Council serves as the continuous governing body of the municipality despite its changes in membership. Generally, it is its responsibility to:

• Express the powers provided by legislation and use their discretion to address the existing and future community needs
• Utilize their ability to draw on financial and other resources to adequately support community needs
• Use their authority to determine the levels of municipal expenditures and taxation that are appropriate for their purposes
• Use their authority to provide effective management and delivery of services in a manner that is responsive to community needs

As Councillors, every member of Council has the following responsibilities:

• To consider the well-being and interests of the municipality and its community
• To contribute to the development and evaluation of the policies and programs of the municipality respecting its services and other activities
• To participate in council meetings, committee meetings and meetings of other bodies to which the member is appointed
• To carry out other duties assigned by the council
• To carry out other duties as assigned by legislation

Individually, Councillors do not have powers though they have responsibilities. The power and authority of Councillors are exercised collectively by Council acting together through resolutions (motions) at Council Meetings or by bylaw. Councillors are unable to act by themselves on Council business unless they have been expressly appointed as Council’s representative on certain matters, or by bylaw, and in such circumstances, they represent the will of Council, not themselves individually. Each member of Council, including the Mayor, has one vote when Council makes decisions. Each member of Council present at a meeting must vote on a motion (resolution), and if the member does not clearly indicate how they are voting they are deemed, by default, to have voted in the affirmative for the motion. Councillors are not permitted to abstain with decision-making, they can either be for the motion or against the motion or not present (either due to declaring conflict of interest and leaving the meeting or not being present).

The Mayor, though a member of Council and sharing the same responsibilities as other Councillors, also has additional and separate functions and responsibilities. They are the head and Chief Executive Officer of the municipality. And in addition to the responsibilities of Councillor, they also have the additional tasks of:

• Providing leadership to Council, including by recommending bylaws, resolutions and other measures that in their opinion may assist the peace, order and good government of the municipality.
• Communicate information to Council
• Preside at Council meetings when in attendance
• To provide, on behalf of Council, general direction to municipal officers respective the implementation of municipal policies, programs and other directions of the Council
• Establish standing committees
• Suspend municipal offers and employee if considered necessary (however, such suspension must be reported to Council at its next meeting with Council deciding whether to reinstate, confirm suspension, confirm and extend the suspension, or dismiss the officer/employee with additional requirements to be met in such process. The Mayor expressly does not have the ability to unilaterally terminate employment, or reinstate, confirm or lengthen suspension).
• Reflect the will of Council and carry out other duties on behalf of the Council
• To carry out other duties as assigned by legislation

Council’s relationship with Staff:

Council’s relationship with staff is that their direct contact to operations and administration is through the Chief Administrative Officer (which in our community is also the Corporate Officer and Chief Financial Officer). Council directs other staff through their direction to the CAO.