
Council
The
Township of Essa is governed by a five member Council. Council is comprised of
a Mayor, Deputy Mayor and three Councillors. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are
elected at large while the three Councillors are elected in their respective
Ward. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor also serve as members of the Council for the
County of Simcoe.
At Council Meetings, the Mayor and Members of
Council discuss and act on matters of importance to the municipality and its
residents. The powers of Council are exercised in one of two ways: either in the form of a by-law or in the form of a resolution.
A
resolution is an expression of the decision or wishes of Council which has been
submitted in the form of a motion and has been adopted by majority vote. Council
of the Township of Essa passes Confirmatory By-laws at the end of each meeting
confirming all proceedings of Council including resolutions and
directions.
In more important matters and where the action to
be taken will affect the general public, the powers of Council are exercised by
by-law. By-laws are laws that are in effect only within the boundaries of the
municipality. While a municipality may pass by-laws on many matters, the
provincial government places limits on the actions a municipality may take. A
municipality may pass by-laws only on matters that the province has given it
authority to do so.
Accountability and Transparency Policy A07-07
Committee of the
Whole and Council Meetings
Council/Committee of the Whole meetings are held on the 1st and
3rd Wednesdays of each month beginning at 6:00 p.m. These meetings are held in
Council Chambers at the Essa Administration Centre at 5786 County Road 21 (east
of Baxter). The schedule of meetings may be altered during the summer months.
All Council meetings are open to the public. If you would like to make a
delegation to the Committee of the Whole, an application form must be submitted to the Office of the
Clerk by the Wednesday of the week before the meeting
you wish to attend.
For a
schedule of Committee of the Whole and Council Meetings, please see our Government Events Calendar.