What, exactly, does City Council do?
According to the Municipal Government Act (MGA) the City Councillors have a very specific job description. In order to elect the people best suited to the position, it is important to know what that job is. Here are the Roles and Responsibilities of City Councillors, as defined by the MGA, with some helpful examples.
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1. Consider the welfare and interests of the municipality as a whole, and to bring to council's attention anything that would promote the welfare or interests of the municipality.
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This is a pretty broad statement, but some examples would be: development planning approvals for new subdivisions and how they are laid out, attracting large employers to the city, approving master plans developed by City Administration that will influence future decisions.
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2. Participate generally in developing and evaluating the policies and programs of the municipality.
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This is my particular focus. There are a lot of policies on the books in Lethbridge. So many that often they contradict each other and cause delays in important projects. Time to tidy up some of the policies that just don't work for our way of living anymore.
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3. Participate in Council Meetings, Council Committee Meetings, and meetings of other bodies they are appointed to by the council.
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This one is important. There have been instances in the last term where Councillors are not showing up to council, or not coming prepared to council meetings. This wastes everyone's time and, crucially, a lot of taxpayer dollars when things get unnecessarily delayed. Not participating fully in the work means things take a lot longer than necessary and erodes confidence in Council.
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4. Obtain information about the operation or administration of the municipality from the Chief Administrative Officer.
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A lot of people think that the day to day operations of the City (garbage collection, parks maintenance, etc.) is done by Council. This is incorrect. Council approves budgets to ensure these things get done, and we hire the City Manager, who is responsible for the administration and running of the city. The role of Council is to provide policy guidance to shape the city people want to live in, it is the role of administration to enact that policy. Think of council as your personal go-between to City Administration. We advocate on citizen's behalf and help the city move in the direction people want it to go.
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5. Keep in confidence matters discussed in private at a council meeting until discussed in a meeting held in public.
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So this one is really important. Sometimes the City has to have direction on things before they go public in order to get the best deal for the City. Land purchases are a great example. All of the land around Lethbridge is privately owned, so when the city needs to build new subdivisions to accommodate our growing population, the Council has to work with Administration to make sure the city expands in a way that isn't too expensive for our tax base. We need to work with administration and the vendors to get the best deal. These duties are performed "in camera" which is Latin for "in private". It is important to note that all decisions of council MUST be public, but the public isn't necessarily privy to all the information provided to the Councillors. This means that folks need to elect people they trust to council.
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6. Perform any other duty or function imposed on Councillors by this or any other enactment or by the council.
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The provincial Government can pass changes to our governing Act (the MGA mentioned above) and we have to do those duties. Not only are Councillors responsible to the people who elect them, we are responsible to our other levels of government as well. This means we need to have solid working relationships regardless of which party (at the Provincial and Federal level) are in leadership roles.
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Okay, so what does that all mean, practically speaking?
Here is a helpful list of things I would be able to influence if you elected me to City Council:
1. Property Taxes - City Council approves property tax increases or decreases based on information that City Administration provides.
2. Spending Priorities - City Council helps prioritize spending of municipal funds, especially when it comes to big projects like new public facilities, parks, or services. While day to day operations are the role of the City Manager, longer-term projects and vision are within the realm of Councillors.
3. Infrastructure development - City Council helps determine, through enacting Land Use Bylaw legislation, what is and is not appropriate to put in areas of the city. We interact regularly with zoning ordinances and rules around density.
4. Managing Partnerships and Associations - City Council helps work with various special interest groups and weighs the interests of those groups against the interests of the general population of the City. This is the important work: making sure that City Administration hears the voices of the people who put us in our seats in order to create a city that works for everyone.
1. Property Taxes - City Council approves property tax increases or decreases based on information that City Administration provides.
2. Spending Priorities - City Council helps prioritize spending of municipal funds, especially when it comes to big projects like new public facilities, parks, or services. While day to day operations are the role of the City Manager, longer-term projects and vision are within the realm of Councillors.
3. Infrastructure development - City Council helps determine, through enacting Land Use Bylaw legislation, what is and is not appropriate to put in areas of the city. We interact regularly with zoning ordinances and rules around density.
4. Managing Partnerships and Associations - City Council helps work with various special interest groups and weighs the interests of those groups against the interests of the general population of the City. This is the important work: making sure that City Administration hears the voices of the people who put us in our seats in order to create a city that works for everyone.
