Council
Click here for 2010 council and committee meeting dates.
Click here for the Mayor’s Reports.
Click here to read council’s statement of priorities for 2006 through 2010.
There are many articles and books on the topic of council and how municipal governments work. They can be very complex especially when you look at the many pieces of legislation that impact your local government. Municipalities are created by the Province of Ontario. They are responsible and accountable for certain matters and to deliver services within their jurisdiction. These powers and duties are provided in the Municipal Act and many other Acts.
Below is a basic overview of how your municipal government works.
Role Of Council
It is the role of Council ,
a) to represent the public and to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality
b) to develop and evaluate the policies and programs of the municipality
c) to determine which services the municipality provides under the authority of Provincial or Federal Legislation
d) to ensure that administrative policies, practices and procedures are in place to implement the decisions of council
e) to ensure the accountability and transparency of the operations of the municipality, including the activities of the senior management of the municipality
f) to maintain the financial integrity of the municipality, and
g) to carry out the duties of council under the Municipal Act or any other Act.
Council exercises it’s authority collectively and by a majority of votes. Each Council member has one vote.
Members
The Municipality of McDougall ’s council consists of 5 members , a Mayor and 4 Councillors. All positions are elected at large to a 4 year term. Municipal elections are held in November . The last election was held November 2006 and the next election will be every four years so 2010, 2014 etc.
McDougall’s current council members are listed below. Click on a council member’s name to send them an email message.
Meetings
As required under the Municipal Act , the municipality has a Procedural By-Law which governs the call, place and proceedings of meetings
The public is welcome to attend all Council and Committee of Whole meetings (for 2010 meeting dates click here). Generally meetings are held the first, second and fourth Wednesday of the month starting at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Office #5 Barager Blvd. , Nobel, Ontario. Dates and times may change or meetings may be cancelled or added, so we advise you to check one week in advance of the meeting . Meeting agendas and minutes will be made available on this web page on the Friday before the meeting date. If you wish to appear before Council (make a deputation) then you must notify the Deputy Clerk the Wednesday prior to the meeting to be placed on the agenda. On the Wednesday prior to the meeting, you must provide the clerk with a copy of material that is being presented, the nature of the presentation and who will be appearing. Deputations are placed at the front of the meeting agenda so you do not have to sit through the whole meeting and deputation time is restricted to 10 minutes.
Most matters /concerns are brought forward first to a Committee of Whole meeting , at this meeting Council will provide direction/decisions. This can include granting a request which must be approved at the next Council meeting ( approval can be in the form of adopting the meeting minutes, a Council resolution or a by-law), denying a request, defer the request pending further information from the person or from staff. All decisions of Council or committee are not ratified as being legal until minutes are adopted and if applicable appeal periods expire.
Boards and Committees
In addition to Council sitting as Committee of Whole or as Council, there are many District/Local Boards or Committees that Council elects/appoints council members or staff to or through the excercise of it’s powers appoints the public to. Some District /Local Boards have members that are shared by multiple municipalities and most of these organizations levy money from the municipality under legislative authority or make special funding requests. The main distinction between a Board and a Committe is that a Board can exercise it’s granted powers , a committee is more of an advisory group that makes reports/recommendations to a Board or a Council. District Boards are created under different pieces of legislation and may have Council appointees on their Boards and as such there may be no control by your local Council. Local Boards can be created by separate legislation or by a single or by a group of municipalities again how it is created will decide how decision making is made. Examples of these are as follows:
1) District Boards
District Social Services Board (DSSAB) , North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit, School Boards
2) Local Boards
Belvedere Heights (home for the aged), Parry Sound Planning Board (Planning Act), Parry Sound Area Industrial Park Board, West Parry Sound Museum Board,
3) Local Committees
West Parry Sound Health Centre Advisory Committee, Parry Sound District Emergency Management Service (land Ambulance) Committee, Provincial Offences Act Committee, Community Policing Committee, 911 Committee, Commitee of Adjustment, Property Standards Committee, Economic Development Strategy Committee . Often municipalities may set up temporary committees to address very specific projects, ie. fund raising for a specific cause, trail planning, master plans for recreation/culture etc.
Municipal Structure and Employees
The Municipality of McDougall organization structure and repsonsibilities are as follows, Council sets policy and services to be delivered, administration is lead by a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) /Clerk who has responsibility to implement Council directions through service departments headed up by a manager. See the organization chart by clicking here. Information on each of the departments is accessed on the left side of the home page. To assist you with answering your questions, try the following , if you know where your question falls within our services (department) then click on that department and look at their frequently asked questions. If you can not find your specific question or answer please call the municipal office. The quickest way to get an answer is to tell our office staff what your question is as they may be able to answer your question immediately without re-directing your question. If they can not answer your question then they will direct you to a person that can help you.