Last night, Thompson’s city council read for the first time a new Composition of Council By-Law: if passed, the amendment would reduce the number of councillors from eight councillors and a mayor to six councillors and a mayor.
Before the by-law proceeds to it’s second reading, council is looking for your input: do you want to keep the number of councillors the same, or reduce the number of councillors from eight to six? Vote in the poll below before Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 11:45pm. You can also fill out the survey in-person at City Hall. It’s very short!
Thompson Council Composition Survey
How do council sizes in other cities stack up?
Below you can see how other cities in Manitoba compare in their population against their council composition.
Councillors in Brandon and Winnipeg work full time, and each councillor represents a ward, or a specific region in the city to whom they are responsible, much like provincial or federal officials.
In Manitoba’s smaller cities, like Thompson, councillors are part-time, and share the duty of representing the city as a whole.
Population is not the only thing that influences a council size. Every community is different: the population, the organization of committees, and the expectations of the community all affect how many councillors are needed to fulfill their roles.
| City | Population | Councillors (Exc. Mayor) | Wards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon | 51, 313 | 10 | Yes |
| Portage La Prairie | 13, 270 | 6 | No |
| Steinbach | 17, 806 | 6 | No |
| Thompson | 13, 035 | 8 | No |
| Winkler | 13, 745 | 7 | No |
| Dauphin | 8, 368 | 6 | No |
| Flin Flon | 4, 940 | 6 | No |
| Morden | 9, 929 | 6 | No |
| Selkirk | 10, 504 | 6 | No |
| Winnipeg | 749, 607 | 15 | Yes |
What Do Councillors Do?
Section 82 of Manitoba’s Municipal Act succinctly describes council as responsible for:
(a) for developing and evaluating the policies and programs of the municipality;
(b) for ensuring that the powers, duties and functions of the municipality are appropriately carried out; and
(c) for carrying out the powers, duties and functions expressly given to the council under this or any other Act.
§82, C.C.S.M c. M225 The Municipal Act
The Council Members Guide, published each council term by the Province of Manitoba and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities builds on these responsibilities:
Decision-making – Council is responsible for making fair and transparent decisions based on relevant information, discussion and a majority vote.
Governance – Council is responsible for passing the local bylaws that govern people and their municipality on a wide range of topics, from animal control to zoning.
Representation – Council is democratically elected. As representatives of the community, council members are responsible to listen to and engage with the public, and consider the best interests of the whole municipality.
Stewardship – Council is responsible for the supervision and care of the municipality’s resources. This means making sure that infrastructure, money and staff are used properly and effectively. This also means planning strategically for the challenges and opportunities of the future.
p. 25, 2018 Council Member’s Guide: Once Elected, What’s Expected?
The Northerner 