Educational Resources

Levels of Government & What They Do

Federal

The federal government of Canada is responsible for national defence, the Canadian Armed Forces, postal service, banking, employment, citizenship and immigration, census, foreign affairs and international trade, agriculture and more.

Provincial

The provincial government of Ontario is responsible for health, education, river and vehicle licensing, energy, human rights, natural resources, environment, social services and more.

Municipal

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is your local government and is responsible for water treatment, parks, libraries, garbage collection, public transit, land use planning, traffic signals, police, paramedics, fire services, sewers, homeless shelters, childcare, recreation centres and more.

Your Municipal Government

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is your local government, also known as the municipal level of government. In Canada, we also have federal and provincial governments. Each of these levels has different responsibilities but they often work together. The Municipality of Chatham-Kent provides services that have a direct impact on our daily lives.

Chatham-Kent Council is made up of 18 members - the mayor, who is elected municipality-wide, and 17 councillors. who are elected across six wards within the municipality. The mayor and councillors each have one vote in Council and a majority vote decides most matters. The mayor and councillors are not elected to represent a political party, but are independent and can choose how they vote on any issue.

Responsibilities

The Municipal Act, 2001, Section 225 identifies the mayor's responsibilities:

To be the head of the Municipal Council and to act as Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation.
To preside at council meetings
To provide leadership to Council.
To represent the municipality at official functions.
To carry out the duties of the Head of Council under this or any other Act.
To perform the duties of a member of council as outlined in the Municipal Act, 2001, Section 224.

The Municipal Act, 2001, Section 224 identifies the role of Council:

To represent the public and to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality.
To develop and evaluate the policies and programs of the municipality.
To determine which services the municipality provides.
To ensure that administrative practices and procedures are in place to implement the decisions of Council.
To ensure the accountability and transparency of the operations of the municipality.
To maintain the financial integrity of the municipality.
To carry out the duties of Council under this or any other Act.

The Municipal Act, 2001, is legislation provided by the provincial government. The act gives the Municipality power to make decisions and provide the services and programs the public needs.

How Municipal Decisions Are Made

The workflow image attached is a Notice of Motion (14 x 5 in) that outlines the steps involved in making decisions at Municipal Council. The steps are connected from left to right and are as follows: Notice of Motion: This is the first step in the decision-making process. A Notice of Motion is a written statement that proposes a course of action to be taken by Municipal Council. Recommendations to Council: Once a Notice of Motion has been submitted, recommendations are made to Municipal Council. These recommendations are based on research and analysis of the proposed course of action. Final Decisions: Municipal Council makes the final decisions based on the recommendations provided. Committee of Council: The Committee of Council is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations on matters that are referred to it by Municipal Council. Community Engagement: Community engagement is an important part of the decision-making process. Municipal Council seeks input from the community to ensure that decisions are well-informed and take into account community feedback and ideas. Council passes By-laws: Once a decision has been made, Municipal Council passes By-laws to give legal effect to the decision. Confirming Decisions: Municipal Council confirms its decisions through a process of voting. Staff Puts the Decisions into Action: Once a decision has been confirmed, Municipal Staff puts the decision into action. Reports from Municipal Staff: Municipal Staff provides reports to Municipal Council on the progress of the decision. Staff may hold consultations to get community ideas and feedback: Municipal Staff may hold consultations with the community to get ideas and feedback on the progress of the decision. Deputations: Deputations are presentations made to Municipal Council by individuals or groups on matters of concern. Provides options to attend virtually or in person: Municipal Council provides options for attending meetings virtually or in person. Petition: A petition is a written request signed by a number of people asking Municipal Council to take a particular course of action.