Canada/Small municipalities can go from six to four councillors
Faced with increasingly difficult recruitment for the positions of mayor and councillors, municipalities with fewer than 2,000 residents will be able to reduce the number of councillors from six to four. In all, 704 Quebec localities will be able to avail themselves of this new option, which will apply from the 2025 general election.
This new provision is part of Bill 57, An Act to protect elected municipal officials and promote the unimpeded exercise of their functions, and to amend various legislative provisions respecting municipal affairs. The bill was adopted on June 6.
To arrive at this proposal, the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Andrée Laforest, indicated that she had spoken with a number of players in the municipal political world, including mayors and prefets, as well as representatives of the Fédération québécoise des municipalités (FQM) and the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ).
Andrée Laforest assures us that no one was against the idea of reducing the number of councillors from six to four.
With elections coming up in November 2025, sometimes it's hard to recruit. You've even seen that in several elections, people are elected by acclamation. Obviously, I think this will be a really good measure for the next election," she reports.
The issue needs to be fully considered by the municipal councils concerned, since this relaxation will be irrevocable until proven otherwise.
It's certain that the measure is in place in a bill that was Bill 57. So, municipalities going from six to four will remain at four councillors. Unless, in general, it's more complicated in Quebec, but what I'm told is that we've done several checks with mayors of smaller municipalities, and most of them told me that they're capable of operating with just four councillors," adds Ms. Laforest.
Municipalities eligible for the new provision must adopt a by-law providing for a council composed of four councillors by December 31, 2024. A public consultation must precede adoption of the draft by-law.
Elected officials currently in office will therefore be able to complete their mandate, but only four councillor positions and the mayor's position will be open to candidacy in the next general election, explains a media relations officer at the communications branch of the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
There are several municipalities that will be going from six councillors to four, and that will be fine.
A quote from Andrée Laforest, Minister of Municipal Affairs
Six councillors for 159 citizens
With 159 residents, people interested in taking the political plunge are few and far between in Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. In this northern Lac-Saint-Jean municipality, everyone knows everyone else. For this and many other reasons, it can be difficult to get involved.
The motivation to sit on a municipal council is also sometimes quite complex, due to the salary that a councillor can earn in small villages like ours. It's not motivating to want to participate," says Notre-Dame-de-Lorette mayor Rita de Launière, herself elected without opposition.
Although the option of reducing the size of the municipal council is an interesting one, she remains cautious. Before reducing the number of people at the council table, a frank discussion is essential.
If we reduce the number of councillors on our municipal council, it takes away the possibility of having more diverse opinions. Public opinion is less present when there are a small number of people making decisions," she explains.
Representatives from Notre-Dame-de-Lorette plan to address the issue more formally.
Three resignations in three years at Lamarche
Just over 100 kilometers away, Lamarchois adopted a brand new municipal council in October 2021. Since then, three councillors have resigned in the municipality of just over 500 souls.
For this and many other reasons, Lamarche mayor Michel Bergeron believes that municipal councils should be reduced in size. On the other hand, he believes that the remuneration of elected representatives should be increased.
Take the same amount of money we have now for the six and apply it to the four. We're able to find interesting candidates who say: "I work so many hours a week for the municipality, that gives me, at least, a minimum, the minimum wage". Right now, we have volunteers on salaries that don't even come close to meeting the responsibilities we assume," insists Michel Bergeron.
However, Minister Andrée Laforest points out that no discussion of elected officials' salaries has taken place as part of this process. She points out that the municipal council can review its remuneration by presenting it to citizens and adopting a resolution to this effect.
Honestly, I don't think we're going from six to four to increase the salaries of the four, but rather to try and meet the needs of smaller municipalities, where it's sometimes difficult to recruit," stresses Ms. Laforest.
Michel Bergeron intends, in the near future, to discuss the possibility of reducing the size of the municipal council with the other elected representatives. He adds that he will not hesitate to seek legal advice before making a decision.
I'm in favor of reducing the number of elected representatives to four. With the mayor, that's five representatives, which is a good proportion to have the idea, to speak on behalf of citizens, to defend the positions of citizens and those of the administration as well," he concludes.
Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/
