Heads of council in designated municipalities face new restrictions on key powers after an election signals significant council turnover

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

A new section limits what a head of council can do once an election is underway and results show that the incoming council will differ substantially from the outgoing one — specifically, if less than three-quarters of outgoing members carry over, or if the head of council changes. Once that threshold is crossed, the head of council cannot appoint a chief administrative officer, restructure the municipal organization, or propose certain by-laws authorizing property disposals or expenditures exceeding $50,000 (unless already budgeted before nomination day). These restrictions do not apply in emergencies, and powers already delegated before nomination day to the CAO or council remain unaffected. Separately, a new rule clarifies that in election years, the head of council may propose the following year's budget only in the year to which it applies. Several regional municipalities and counties are also scheduled to be added to the list of designated municipalities covered by these rules.

Who this affects: heads of council in designated municipalities · municipal councils in designated municipalities · chief administrative officers of designated municipalities · regional municipalities and counties being added to the designated list