Kathryn Lockyer, Interim Commissioner of Corporate Services provided an overview of the Municipal Act requirements and process to change the composition of Regional Council.
She noted that if the by-law is enacted by Regional Council, the by-law will be forwarded to the local municipalities requesting that they pass resolutions consenting to the by-law.
In order for the by-law to be valid it must receive triple majority support. To achieve triple majority support, the following must occur:
- a majority of all votes on the upper-tier council must be cast in favour of the by-law (that means that at least 13 members of Regional Council must vote in favour of the by-law);
- a majority of the councils of all lower-tier municipalities forming part of the upper-tier municipality must pass resolutions consenting to the by-law; and
- the total number of electors in the lower-tier municipalities that passed resolutions consenting to the by-law must form a majority of all the electors in the upper-tier municipality.
It was noted that a by-law to change the composition of Regional Council would not come into force until the day the new Council is organized following the 2022 Municipal Election. The by-law would only come into force if the described changes are implemented before December 31, 2021.