How
Government
Works
Cities, Regions and
School Boards
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Neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
City
City
Region
Region
Ontario
Ontario
Canada
Canada
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Levels of Government
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Levels of Government - Federal
Queen
JUDICIAL
FEDERAL
Supreme
Governor General
Federal
Executive
Legislature
House
Senate
Prime Minister
Committees
Committees
P.M. Office
Cabinet
Ministries
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Levels of Government
Queen
FEDERAL
PROVINCIAL
G.G.
L.G.
Legislature
Executive
Legislature
JUDICIAL
Supreme
Executive
Federal
House
Senate
P.M.
L.A.O
Premier
Comm.
Comm.
P.M.O
Comm.
P.O
Cabinet
Cabinet
Ministries
Ministries
Provincial
Municipal
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Provincial Government
PROVINCIAL
Legislative Assembly
 Members of Provincial
Parliament (MPPs)
 Committees
L.G.
Legislature
Executive
L.A.O
Premier
Comm.
P.O
Cabinet
Ministries
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Provincial Government
PROVINCIAL
Executive
L.G.
Legislature
Executive
L.A.O
Premier
Comm.
P.O
•Premier
•Premier’s Office
•Cabinet
•Ministries
Cabinet
Ministries
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How a Bill Becomes a Law
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Local Governments
Provincial
Ministries
Municipal
Affairs
Municipalities
Education
School
Boards
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MUNICIPAL COUNCILS
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Municipal Jeopardy!
Municipalities
School Boards
Mash-Up!
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400
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Municipal Jeopardy!
Municipalities
School Boards
Mash-Up!
100
100
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200
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300
300
400
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500
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500
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Municipal Councils
The powers of municipal
governments are determined by
the provincial government.
REGIONAL
GOVERNMENTS
3 Types of Municipal Councils
Regional
Counties
Single Tier
SINGLE TIER
GOVERNMENT
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Municipal Responsibilities
Provincial offences
administration
City of Toronto
Administration of
justice
Hydro services
Immigration
Arts and culture
Parks and recreation
Municipal planning
Economic development
Public health
By-law enforcement
Economic development
Fire services
Planning new community
developments and
enhancing existing
neighbourhoods
Public transit
Local roads
Tax collection
Snow removal, road and
sidewalk maintenance
By-law Enforcement
Industry
Public libraries
Direct taxation
Municipal institutions
Public transit
Primary, secondary
education
Municipal licensing
(animal, building,
business)
Social assistance
and social services
Emergency medical
services
Arts and culture
facilities, events
Transportation
infrastructure
City of Brampton
Animal control
Region of Peel
Housing services
Waste collection, recycling
Emergency
preparedness
Municipal streets and
roads
Waste, recycling
services
Police, ambulance
services
Waste water collection,
treatment
Environment
Parking
Water and
wastewater
Public health
Water treatment, supply
Fire protection
Parks and recreation
Policing
Social services
Regional roads
Health care
Pensions, income
support
Housing
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Role of Municipal Council
It is the role of Council,
to represent the public and to consider
the well-being and interests of the
municipality

to ensure the accountability and
transparency of the operations of the
municipality, including the activities of
the senior management of the
municipality

to maintain the financial integrity of the
municipality and

to carry out the duties assigned to it by
law.
to develop and evaluate the policies and
programs of the municipality
to determine which services the
municipality provides
to ensure that administrative policies,
practices and procedures are in place to
implement the decisions of council
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Who’s on Council?
Municipal Councils are made up of a Head of Council plus Councillors
or Aldermen.
PEEL REGIONAL COUNCIL
Regional Chair
Mayors of Caledon, Brampton,
Mississauga
11 City of Mississauga Council members
6 City of Brampton Council members
4 Town of Caledon Council members
YORK REGIONAL COUNCIL
Regional Chair and CEO
Mayors of Aurora, East Gwillimbury,
Georgina, King, Markham, Newmarket,
Richmond Hill, Vaughan, WhitchurchStouffville
1 Georgina Regional Council member
4 Markham Regional Council members
1 Newmarket Regional Council member
2 Richmond Hill Regional Council members
3 Vaughan Regional Council members
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Who’s on Council?
Head of Council
The Head of Council may be called a Warden, Chair, Reeve or Mayor.
It is the role of the Head of Council,
To act as the municipality’s chief executive officer
To preside over council meetings (though in Toronto, a “speaker” is
named)
To provide the council with leadership and information and
recommendations to the council
To represent the municipality at official functions
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Who’s on Council?
Councillors
Councillors have a representative, policy-making and
stewardship role in each municipality.
Representative Role

Councillors are elected by
constituents to represent
their views when dealing
with issues at Council.
Policy-Making Role
Councillors are expected to
provide direction for municipal
policies, including
administration and guidance for
future decisions.
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Sample Council Meetings
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Agencies, Boards & Committees
Agencies, boards and
commissions can include but
aren’t limited to:
Committees can include but aren’t
limited to:
Police services board
Economic development committee
Public library board
Transit commissions (i.e. TTC)
Community and social services
committee
Boards of health
Property standards committee
Budget committee
Audit committee
Public works and infrastructure
committee
Public Health committee
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How Decisions Get Made
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York Region Organizational Chart
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City of Brampton Organizational Chart
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City of Toronto Organizational Chart
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Reading Municipal Reports

Introduction
This section provides an overview of
the issue and the purpose of the
report.

History of the issue
This section will include
references to previous reports
or decisions.

Recommendations
Reports tend to put
recommendations up front.


Background
This should explain the reasons for
the recommendations and why the
matter is an issue of importance.
Structure
In reports the most recent
information – usually the
recommended conclusion is
up front but the background
discussion that makes it all
make sense follows, in
reverse chronological order.
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Role of Staff
 Staff have a lot more power in local
governments and play a bigger role in decision
making.
 Develop proposals and recommendations
 Support for Mayor and Councillors
 Staff outlast elected politicians
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SCHOOL BOARDS
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Municipal Jeopardy!
Municipalities
School Boards
Mash-Up!
100
100
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400
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500
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School Boards

Education is a provincial
government responsibility led
by the Minister and Ministry of
Education.

Ontario's school boards
operate the province's
publicly-funded schools and
administer the funding they
receive for their schools.
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Role of School Boards
Prescriptive Duties (what they must do)
Operating schools according to provincial legislation and
regulation
Have a vision statement that reflects the board’s philosophy and
local needs and priorities
Setting the board’s budget within the provincial grants and
accompanying regulations
Implementing curriculum according to ministry curriculum policy
Permissive Duties (what they can do)
Offer pupil transportation
Developing and delivering other programs that reflect provincial
policies and local priorities
Hiring teachers and other staff required in their schools
Maintaining school buildings and property with regard to student
safety and in accordance with provincial legislation
Offer continuing education and evening classes
Monitoring their policies and the achievement of their students
and, through the director of education, holding the entire system
accountable for meeting provincial and board standard
Offer programming in detention homes
Operate child care facilities and day nurseries
Offer benefits and insurance for its employees
Offer school libraries and resource centres
Operate school property as a playground, park or public skating
facility
Offer qualified guidance teachers
Operate cafeterias
Offer professional development courses for teachers
Offer insurance for pupils
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Who’s part of a School Board?
School Trustees
School Board Trustees are locally elected representatives of the public
and they are the community’s advocate for public education
A Trustee’s job is to:
 participate in making decisions that benefit the whole board while
representing the interests of his or her constituents, and also to
 communicate the views and decisions of the school board back to
the constituents
 identify the needs and priorities of their community and turn them
into practical educational opportunities for students.
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Who’s part of a School Board?
Student Trustees
Student Trustees are elected by students and represent the interests of
the student body at meetings of the Board
Fully participate in meetings and have access to Board resources and
opportunities
Not members of the Board and are not entitled to vote
Can have their voices reflected in meeting minutes
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Who’s part of a School Board?
Directors of Education
The Director of Education is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Education Officer of
the Board.
All School Board staff report either directly or indirectly to the Director of Education.
Directors are responsible for:
 Advising the Board on operational
matters

Implementing Board policies

Managing all areas of Board
operations

Developing, implementing,
monitoring, finding resources for
and reporting to the Board on a
multi-year plan;

Bringing to the Board’s attention
any Board violations of the
Education Act or any of its
policies, guidelines or regulations.
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Who’s part of a School Board?
Superintendents (supervisory officers)
Superintendents are accountable to the Director of Education for the
implementation, operation, and supervision of educational programs in their
schools.
Superintendents are responsible for:
 Leading and supervising schools
and programs

Ensuring that performance
appraisals are conducted.
Working with principals and staff to
ensure that schools operate according
to Ministry and Board policy
Holding schools accountable for
student achievement
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Who’s part of a School Board?
School Councils
School Councils advise principals on issues affecting the education programs and
operation of individual schools.
School Councils membership include:
 Parents/guardians of students
 the principal
 A teacher
 A student representative
 A non-teaching school staff
 Members from the community at
large
School Councils may advise on:
 Leading and supervising
schools and programs
 Codes of student behaviour
 Curriculum priorities
 Programs/strategies to
improve school performance
on provincial and School
Boards tests
 Communications with parents
 Community use of schools
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Board Committees
Types of Board committees:
Standing or permanent committees generally deal with ongoing or recurring
matters, such as those specified in the legislation, and are an integral part of
the Board structure.
Ad hoc committees, like task forces or work groups, investigate a specific
issue and report to the Board within a stated time frame.
Advisory committees, established on either a short- or long-term basis,
provide input into policy development or other areas where the Board would
benefit from the experience and expertise of other participants.
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Municipal Jeopardy!
Municipalities
School Boards
Mash-Up!
100
100
100
200
200
200
300
300
300
400
400
400
500
500
500
© Maytree 2014 | maytree.com
Municipal Websites
The Regional Municipality of Peel
The Regional Municipality of York
Region of Peel
www.peelregion.ca
York Region
www.york.ca
City of Brampton
www.brampton.ca
Town of Aurora
www.e-aurora.ca
Town of Caledon
www.town.caledon.on.ca
Town of East Gwillimbury
www.eastgwillimbury.ca
City of Mississauga
www.mississauga.ca
Town of Georgina
www.georgina.ca
Peel District School
Board
Dufferin-Peel Catholic
District School Board
www.peel.edu.on.ca
Township of King
www.king.ca
Town of Markham
www.markham.ca
Town of Newmarket
www.newmarket.ca
Town of Richmond Hill
www.richmondhill.ca
City of Vaughan
www.city.vaughan.on.ca
Town of WhitchurchStouffville
York Region District
School Board
York Catholic District
School Board
www.townofws.com
www.dpcdsb.org
City of Toronto
City of Toronto
www.toronto.ca
Toronto District
School Board
Toronto Catholic
District School Board
www.tdsb.on.ca
www.tcdsb.org
www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca
www.ycdsb.ca
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MUNICIPAL BUDGETS
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Municipal Budgets
 Municipalities go through a process every year that
determines the following year’s budget – what each
department, division and Council will spend
 Unlike other levels of government, municipalities MUST
balance their budgets every year
 Each municipality has a different budget process
 In some municipalities, initial budget discussions begin in the late
fall with public consultations beginning early in the new year
 In other municipalities, the budget process starts much earlier, in
the spring
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Municipal Budgets
Operating Budgets
Capital Budgets
Like your food budget
The operating budget pays for
things that you use up and don’t
have afterward. If you spend more
than you have, you run into deficit
and eventually go broke.
Like a mortgage or car payments
These are debts but they are
balanced by things you own that
are worth something. You can
spend more than you have but
need to make payments regularly,
and you need enough income to
cover the payments.
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Mississauga’s Budget Process
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Municipal Budget Consultations
Municipalities use a variety of methods to engage residents in
the budget process.
Activities municipalities may use include:






Budget committee deputations, email and mail correspondence
City/Town-wide public meetings
Regional public meetings
Online surveys
Councillor-led public meetings
Public open house
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MAKING A DEPUTATION
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Making a deputation
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MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
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Elections
 Elections affect how politicians think
about their jobs
 Politicians have to get elected every 4
years
 What they need to win colours what
they feel they need to do while in office
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Elections
 They know which votes they need, which
communities are “swing votes”
 They will work to appeal to those swing votes
 Issues that affect those groups get a lot of
attention – so link your issue to their issue
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Municipal Elections
Municipal elections happen once every 4 years
A person is entitled to vote in a municipal election if she or he is:
18 years of age or older
a Canadian citizen; and
either a resident of the municipality or a property owner or tenant or the
spouse or same sex partner of an owner or tenant in the municipality during a
specified time just before the election
On election day, voters elect representatives for their own Ward including:
1 Councillor
1 Mayor
1 School Board Trustee
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Exercise
Swing votes are seniors, newcomers
Your issue is schools

How do you get the
attention of the elected
official?
Your issue is transit
 How do you get the
attention of the elected
official?
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How
Government
Works
Cities, Regions and
School Boards
© Maytree 2014 | maytree.com