Sault Ste. Marie City Council

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Type
Unicameral city council
EstablishedApril 16, 1912
1918 (amalgamation)
1965 (amalgamation)
New session started
November 15, 2022
Mayor
(head of council)
Matthew Shoemaker
since November 15, 2022
Sault Ste. Marie City Council
Type
Type
Unicameral city council
History
EstablishedApril 16, 1912
1918 (amalgamation)
1965 (amalgamation)
New session started
November 15, 2022
Leadership
Mayor
(head of council)
Matthew Shoemaker
since November 15, 2022
Structure
Seats10 Councillors and one Mayor
Length of term
4 years
AuthorityMunicipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25
Elections
Last election
Monday, October 24, 2022
Next election
Monday, October 26, 2026
Meeting place
Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre
Website
Official website

Sault Ste. Marie City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Meeting at the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre on the city's waterfront, it consists of ten city councillors and the mayor of Sault Ste. Marie.

Mayor

Under the terms of Ontario's Municipal Act, 2001, the entire city council is elected every four years.

The council's function is to set the direction for the municipality, its programs and services, while ensuring that the public's interest is being represented and upheld.

More specifically, council passes by-laws and resolutions as needed, with the authority to approve the city budget, and set policy and committee processes.[1][2]

Sault Ste. Marie council operates on a committee of the whole structure, meaning that almost all matters are directly considered by the whole council, rather than standing committees of councillors as exists in other Ontario municipalities like Toronto. Council does use advisory committees composed of councillors and members of the public for some matters. These committees deliberate and make recommendations that are considered by the whole of council.

Administration of the city's day-to-day operations and finances is delegated to the city's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the city's senior most official who directs other city staff in accordance with decisions adopted by the whole of council.[3]

At council meetings, the mayor and councillors each have one vote and a majority vote decides most matters.

The council meets approximately every three weeks on Mondays, however only one meeting a month is held in the summer.[4]

As the head of council, the mayor is the chief executive officer of the municipality. They are principally responsible for presiding over the meetings of the council and being the chief public spokesperson for the city and council. In addition, the mayor has certain powers under Part VI.1 of Ontario's Municipal Act, 2001 to direct the work of city staff and determine the organizational structure of city hall.[5]

The mayor is elected by a city-wide vote on a first-past-the-post basis.

The city's current mayor is Matthew Shoemaker, a former two-term city councillor, who was sworn in on November 15, 2022[6] His current term will end on November 14, 2026.[7]

Councillors

Councillors act as representatives of their wards at council meetings, on city advisory committees and with the public. They also work to help constituents navigate city hall and services and work to address problems or complaints.[8]

Two councillors are elected from each of the city's five geographically defined wards using a single non-transferable vote. Electors may cast their ballot for up to two candidates and the two that receive the largest number of votes in each ward are declared elected.[9]

Current councillors

The current council's term of office began on November 15, 2022 and will end on November 14, 2026, following elections that will be held in all Ontario municipalities on Monday, October 26, 2026.[10]

Ward Councillor[11] First elected
1 Sandra Hollingsworth 2018[12]
1 Sonny Spina 2022[13]
2 Luke Dufour 2018[14]
2 Lisa Vezeau-Allen 2018[15]
3 Angela Caputo 2022[16]
3 Ron Zagordo 2022[17]
4 Marchy Bruni 2010
4 Stephan Kinach 2022[18]
5 Corey Gardi 2018[19]
5 Matthew Scott 2018[20]

History

Past councils

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI