Fall is officially here (at least the trees say so – and we’ve had the obligatory September snow!). Council is back in session and had our organizational meeting in October. I feel like I’m hitting my stride with Rocky View County as a Councillor. Being a Councillor is a steep learning curve, but I feel confident now in my questions and responses in Council, my governance role on various committees/boards, as well as how to manage most resident concerns.
So happy to see you at the fall fair! The winner of the pressure washer was Davin MacIntosh of Calgary. I sponsored hats and other swag at the table in addition to the door prize, I hope you were able to get at least a ball cap!
Normally I tell you all about events and other happenings in Div. 2, but there seem to be a few concerns out there that I’ll address by sharing with you what my role is and how I support our division (or really, anyone that calls me!)
The number one thing I’ve learned in the past two years is that a Councillor is responsible for governance. The Municipal Government Act (MGA) is pretty clear about that. While we get elected in our Divisions, our individual role is really to take care of the entire County. Very seldom should any Councillor have a divisional-only view of the world, because what might be good for one area, might have serious negative impacts on another. And we have a sworn duty to uphold the interests of the entire Municipality! In fact, some Municipalities do not have a Divisional system (i.e. Cochrane), because every Councillor’s only job is to take care of the Municipality, not just one area.
Someone also called me the other day and asked me about Divisional representation on various boards and committees. They had heard that if a Councillor wasn’t on a board then that division had no representation. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, if that were true, then ALL committees would have to have all 9 Councillors on them at all times, and that’s just not how it works. In fact, it isn’t even mandated in the Municipal Government Act that Councillors have to sit on boards/committees.
When a Councillor sits on a board/ committee they represent Rocky View County – ALL Divisions. The Councillor is there to take care of the County, not a division. It doesn’t matter if it is the Agricultural Service board, the Inter- Municipal Committees, the Family Support Services board.
So how do your views, or those of your community get represented if your Councillor isn’t on that board? Great Question! The truth is that all the representation happens at the Council table – that is where boards/committees bring forward their ideas or recommendations and Council votes on it. If I wasn’t on a certain committee and thought Division 2 wasn’t being represented well, then I can make comment, make a motion to amend the main motion or even introduce a motion arising to ensure Division 2 is taken care of.
Let me give you a REAL example that happened last year. A board that I didn’t sit on made recommendations about funding applications received for recreation in Divisions 1, 2 & 3. I noted that an application for the Springbank Community Centre did not receive the board’s recommendation for funding. As the Division Councillor, I actually felt quite differently about that decision (as I have always been a champion for recreational issues in the County), so I stated my thoughts and reasons for wanting to provide them with funds, made a motion arising to provide the SCA with the funding and this was approved by Council. The take away here is that I didn’t have to be on the board to represent my division – I have to be at the Council table.
My goal in sharing some of this is to provide facts. I’m not that interested in drama or half truths, or outright mistruths. If I say something – I’m prepared to back it up with facts. Here’s wording straight from the Municipal Government Act:
Role of a Councillor (Pages 102 & 103) General duties of councillors
Councillors have the following duties:
(a) to consider the welfare and interests of the municipality as a whole and to bring to council’s attention anything that would promote the welfare or interests of the municipality;
(a.1) to promote an integrated and strategic approach to intermunicipal land use planning and service delivery with neighbouring municipalities;
(b) to participate generally in developing and evaluating the policies and programs of the municipality;
(c) to participate in council meetings and council committee meetings and meetings of other bodies to which they are appointed by the council;
(d) to obtain information about the operation or administration of the municipality from the chief administrative officer or a person designated by the chief administrative officer;
(e) to keep in confidence matters discussed in private at a council or council committee meeting until discussed at a meeting held in public;
(e.1) to adhere to the code of conduct established by the council under section 146.1(1);
(f) to perform any other duty or function imposed on councillors by this or any other enactment or by the council.
Role of Council (Page 123)
Council’s principal role in municipal organization 201(1) A council is responsible for
(a) developing and evaluating the policies and programs of the municipality;
Composition of Council Committee (Page 99. The important word here is MAY. Depending on a number of factors, a committee/board doesn’t even have to Councillors on it.)
Composition of council committees 146 A council committee may consist
(a) entirely of councillors,
(b) of a combination of councillors and other persons, or
(c) subject to section 154(2), entirely of persons who are not councillors.
If you’re really interested, there is a plain- language guide from Alberta Municipal Affairs on the actual role of a Councillor. It’s called “What Every Councillor Needs to Know,” and you can read it at: www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/What%20Every%20Councillor%20Needs%20to%20Know.pdf
Taking care of Division 2, Springbank and Rocky View County is truly done at the Council table. When a policy isn’t working, or needs to be tweaked, or something added or taken away because it isn’t reflective of things you are telling me are of concern, my role is to adjust the policy – not to come out and pave your road, take a picture of garbage, measure culverts or potholes. My role is to ensure the policies delivering those services are working for you!
I have introduced many motions that directly or indirectly impacted you. I introduced a motion that allowed Rocky View County to take a political stand on the SR-1 project. I introduced a motion (yet to be debated) to utilize the value of Municipal Reserve lands that Clr. Goode dedicated to the Springbank Community Centre for a new community hall; I introduced a motion (yet to be debated) that would see Council do a fulsome review of ALL fee simple lands owned by the County, and if deemed surplus, to be sold at market value to fund recreation projects. I just introduced a notice of motion that would allow Council to make decisions directly on all proceeds from Municipal Reserve Lands so we could control where and how those monies are being spent (i.e. schools; parks; pathways; recreation). I also introduced a motion to preserve almost a full quarter section for the Cochrane Ag Society, RVC residents and the Town of Cochrane for 20 years to support regional recreation, which was recently passed by Council. There are a number of other projects in the works as well, and I’m hopeful I can share those soon.
As your Councillor, I am working to make your way of life just a bit better – I won’t focus on the negative stuff intended to distract us from the good work. It doesn’t take much to throw stones so I’ll leave it to those that choose to do that – but ask me for the other side of the story. I’d be happy to have a conversation. In the meantime, I focus on the good work we are doing for Rocky View County and I hope you do too.
