Local Government in British Columbia

 - a community effort -

(updated January, 2005)

Question : How many people does it take to make a local government?

Answer : How many people are in your community?

In British Columbia, local government is a community effort. No matter where you live in B.C., you and your neighbours benefit from local government; it provides and maintains the community's basic essential services - clean water, garbage collection, sewer systems, roads and sidewalks, street lights, and fire and police protection. Your local government may also provide other services including libraries, parks, and recreational facilities such as skating rinks, gymnasiums and swimming pools. Whether you live in a rural area, in a small village or town, or in a large urban centre, local government is responding to your community's needs, and planning for your community's future.

Introduction to Local Government in British Columbia . . .

Municipalities were first formed in the late 1800's when residents of the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and the Kootenays saw the need for their growing communities to have the benefit of locally provided, and locally controlled, services. Municipalities are still being created today when a community desires a way to provide and develop its own services. A municipality is created through one of the most basic processes of democracy - forming a local self government through a community vote.

Regional districts were formed in the mid-1960's to perform two functions. They provide a way to deliver local services to areas outside of municipalities and a way for municipalities and the rural areas to jointly fund services which are of a benefit to the region.

Local government is the most accessible and responsive level of government. It is staffed by members of the community, and the elected officials, known as municipal Councils or regional Boards, are also comprised of local citizens. Together with the citizen volunteer and advisory groups, local government is you and your neighbours - a community effort.

How Local Government is Created

Under the Canadian Constitution, local government can only· be established and granted its powers by the provincial government.

The provincial government sets out the legal framework and foundation for the establishment and continuation of local governments in a provincial law called the Municipal Act. This Act provides local governments with the authority necessary for fulfilling their purposes and with the flexibility to respond to the different needs and changing circumstances of their communities. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs is the body responsible for local government in British Columbia.

Civic Vote

All mayors, councillors, and regional directors are elected for a three-year term, and elections are held throughout the province every third year on the third Saturday in November. At the same time as local elections are held, referenda may be held on questions which municipal councils and regional boards have the power to act.

Voting in Municipal Elections

You are entitled to be registered as an elector and vote in a local election if you are:

• a minimum of 18 years of age;
• a Canadian citizen;
• have resided in British Columbia for 6 consecutive months prior to seeking registration as an elector;
• own or rent property in the municipality on the date of registration or have resided in the municipality for 30 days prior to registration;
• have no disqualification under the Local Government Act or any law in force in British Columbia.

A person who owns land in a municipality, but does not reside in that municipality, may pre-register on general voting day as a non-resident property elector, as long as they meet the other requirements of resident electors. Resident electors not on the electors' list can vote by registering on election day by showing two pieces of identification.

Elected Officials

The basic responsibility for local government services and decisions lies with municipal councils and regional district boards.

Once a municipality is incorporated a mayor and council is elected to determine its policies and oversee its responsibilities. The council is the governing body of the municipality and is responsible to see that its powers are used for the benefit and protection of its citizens.

The regional district board is comprised of elected rural representatives and appointed municipal representatives - the board has the same administrative and legislative responsibilities as a municipal council.

Decision Making

All powers of a Council or Regional District Board are exercised by bylaws and resolutions.

The Municipal Act states that these decisions can only be made at the regular, or at specially convened, Council meetings where there is a quorum, or fixed number of Council members present.

The City of Vancouver has an eleven-member Council consisting of the mayor and ten councillors. A quorum will be six of its members.

The council of cities or districts having a population of more than 50,000 people will usually consist of a mayor and eight councillors. A quorum is five members. Any other city or district will usually have a council consisting of a mayor and six councillors. In this case, the quorum will be four members.

Towns and villages are represented by a mayor and four councillors, with a quorum of three members.

Policy

Council establishes policies for the community and adopts bylaws or resolutions based on these policies. It must then ensure that these policies are executed by the municipality's administration in the day to day business of the community.

Administration

While your elected officials are responsible for setting policy, the actual work of providing local services is carried out by employees. The number of employees depends on the size of your municipality or regional district and the types of services they provide.

In all but the smallest local government offices, the staff is organized into departments. Most medium to large offices have departments for Public Works, Finance, Personnel, Fire, Planning, Building, Licences, Parks and Recreation, and an officer in charge of corporate administration.

Local governments employ people with a variety of skills. In addition to the more usual jobs of engineers, accountants, electricians, plumbers, truck drivers, secretaries and carpenters, there are some unique jobs such as firefighters, animal control officers and sewage treatment plant operators.

Some of the key people that are working on your behalf to make your community a better place to live are listed on the following pages.

Chief Administrative Officer

The chief administrative officer of a municipality or regional district is usually called the   Administrator or Manager. In smaller jurisdictions this role may be assumed by the person doing corporate and/or financial administration.

Regardless of title, this person is the individual charged with the overall efficient delivery of policy and services throughout the municipality or region. The Administrator reports directly to the Council or Board. In addition, the Administrator often provides business advice to the Council or Board and acts as its representative in negotiations with other government bodies, businesses and property owners.

Corporate Officer

The Corporate Officer acts as the link between the public, staff, and the Council or Board. He or she is responsible for preparing agendas, keeping minutes of meetings, publishing official notices, drawing up bylaws, safeguarding public documents, and providing public information.

The Corporate Officer is the 'expert' on protocol and procedure and advises the elected officials as required. Official correspondence is usually addressed to the Corporate Administrator, who also has the authority to enter into correspondence on behalf of the Council or Board.

Chief Financial Officer 

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for local government's finances. In addition to the usual accounting functions, and the preparation of financial statements, the Chief Financial Officer is responsible for the safekeeping of money and securities, for investing funds and for ensuring that local government's expenditures are made in accordance with its policy and the law.

The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for the preparation of the Five Year Plan which includes both operating and capital expenditures. He or she is the elected officials' financial adviser and is expected to provide advice on financing capital projects, developing the 5 year plan, the legality of expenditures, and on taxation policy.

Engineer

The Engineer is responsible for what generally is termed 'public works'. This might include the planning for, construction of, operation and maintenance of a wide variety of local government services - roads, garbage disposal, and water and sewer systems.

Planner

Most large offices have a planning department, which is responsible for planning the development of the community and for preparing and administering land use regulations and bylaws. The Planning Department gathers statistical information on the community and often acts as a source of information for people who are interested in local investment.

Building Inspector

Every municipality and regional district that regulates building construction appoints a Building Inspector who is responsible for approving plans, issuing building permits and inspecting, construction. The Building Inspector is often called upon to provide advice to builders on the interpretation of codes, and works closely with the agencies responsible for electrical, gas and sewage disposal permits and inspections.

Auditor

Every Council or Board must appoint an Auditor. The Auditor is an accountant and cannot be an employee . He or she is an independent adviser, whose major duty is to audit the accounts and financial transactions and to report on the state of the accounting. The Auditor can also look into any expenditure to see if it complies with the law.

The Auditor must be given complete and free access to all of the local government's financial records.

back to top of page