What is municipal government?
A municipal government is the government of a city, town, village or other local community. It is the level of government closest to your daily life. In Canada, each municipality gets its powers from its province or territory.
Canada has thousands of municipalities, from huge cities like Toronto and Montréal to tiny villages with only a few hundred people.
Who leads a municipality?
The mayor
The mayor is the elected leader of a municipality. In some places, the leader is called a reeve or a warden. The mayor:
- leads council meetings
- speaks for the community
- works with other governments
- helps set priorities
The council
The council is the group of elected people who make decisions for the municipality. Each councillor usually represents one area of the city, called a ward. In smaller places, councillors may represent the whole town.
The mayor and councillors vote on decisions together. In most Canadian municipalities, the mayor has one vote, just like each councillor.
Municipal staff
Many people work for the municipality: engineers, planners, librarians, firefighters, bus drivers, parks staff and more. A city manager or chief administrative officer usually leads the staff and carries out council’s decisions.
What municipal governments do
| Service | Examples |
|---|---|
| Roads and transportation | fixing potholes, clearing snow, streetlights, traffic lights, public transit |
| Water and waste | clean drinking water, sewers, garbage, recycling and compost |
| Safety | fire departments, local police in many places, emergency planning |
| Parks and recreation | parks, playgrounds, arenas, pools, community centres |
| Libraries | books, computers, programs |
| Planning | deciding where houses, stores and factories can be built |
| Animal services | pet licences, animal shelters |
By-laws
A by-law is a rule made by a municipal government. By-laws apply only within that municipality. Examples:
- dogs must be on a leash in certain parks
- sidewalks must be cleared of snow within a set time
- quiet hours at night to limit noise
- where people can park, and for how long
- whether you can have backyard chickens!
By-law officers make sure people follow by-laws and may give warnings or fines.
How municipalities pay for services
Municipal governments get money from:
- property tax: paid by people who own homes or buildings, based on their value. This is the biggest source of money for most municipalities.
- user fees: bus fares, swimming lessons, parking fees
- grants: money from the provincial or federal government for big projects
Each year, council makes a budget that decides how to spend the money. Choices can be hard: Should the city fix old roads or build a new library?
Municipal elections
Municipal elections are usually held every four years in most provinces. Voters elect the mayor and councillors, and often school board trustees. Unlike federal and provincial politics, many municipal candidates do not belong to political parties.
How citizens take part
- Attend or watch council meetings; most are open to the public and many are streamed online.
- Speak to council about an issue.
- Contact your councillor by email or phone.
- Join a community association.
- Answer surveys about new projects.
Try it yourself
- Find out the name of your mayor and your ward councillor.
- Look up one by-law in your community. Why do you think it exists?
- Pretend you’re on council with money for one project: a new rink, more bus routes or a bigger library. Which do you choose and why?
- Watch part of a council meeting online with a grown-up.
Quick recap
- Municipal government runs a city, town or village.
- The mayor and council are elected to make decisions.
- Municipalities provide roads, water, garbage pickup, parks, libraries and more.
- By-laws are local rules.
- Property taxes pay for most municipal services.