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HomeMy Public PortalAboutActing Mayor Protocol COUNCIL Page 1 of 3 POLICY Effective Date: May 8, 2017 Section: Corporate Title: Acting Mayor Protocol PURPOSE This Policy provides a protocol for Council members when acting in place of the Mayor when the Mayor is absent or otherwise unable to act or when the office of the Mayor is vacant. 1. Introduction In the Council Procedure Bylaw 1364, Acting Mayor is defined as the Councillor designated to act in the place of the Mayor when the Mayor is absent or otherwise unable to act or when the office of the Mayor is vacant. These duties may include: • attending an event on behalf of the Mayor and the Town of Oliver • chairing a Council meeting • serving as a signatory on documents Currently each Councillor is assigned a three-month block to serve as Acting Mayor. If the Acting Mayor is unable to attend an event, the Mayor will seek another member of Council to represent the Mayor's Office. 2. Attending Events The Mayor’s Office receives numerous invitations to attend events and bring greetings on behalf of the Town of Oliver throughout the year. Given the amount of requests and the Mayor’s work schedule, members of Council will be asked to attend events on behalf of the Mayor’s Office even when the Mayor is in town. To manage requests of members of Council in a fair and organized way, each Councillor is assigned a three-month block to serve as Acting Mayor. If the Acting Mayor is unable to attend an event, the Deputy Corporate Officer will seek another member of Council to represent the Mayor’s Office. There are a few exceptions to this general rule of assigning events to the designated Acting Mayor. For example: Acting Mayor Protocol Page 2 of 3 • Representing the Town at an event associated with the duties of a particular Councillor (e.g., member of a community organization, committee chair) may be offered to them first Unless there is a compelling local connection, generally speaking events outside our municipality are not accepted to give priority to local events. Attending events during a Councillor’s assigned period is considered part of their duties as a member of Council. Members of Council are asked to make their best efforts to be available. 3. Changes to Acting Mayor schedule The annual order of Acting Mayors is established with the annual yearly Regular Open Meeting Schedule. If members of Council would like to serve as Acting Mayor during an alternative time (for example, if they will be taking a vacation during this period), they are asked to discuss this with a colleague and coordinate this with the Mayor’s Office as far in advance as possible as bookings can occur several months in advance. 4. Support for Acting Mayors Members of Council can expect the following support from the Deputy Corporate Officer: • Contact from the Deputy Corporate Officer one to two months in advance to determine if you have any constraints to fulfilling your duties as Acting Mayor • E-mail requests to attend events from the Deputy Corporate Officer • A detailed event overview • Confirmation of the booking in Outlook • Speaking notes (as required) • Any other materials (e.g. certificate, letter) 5. Expectations of Acting Mayor’s What the Mayor expects from members of Council serving as Acting Mayor: • Prompt responses to requests regarding your attendance at an event as Acting Mayor (community organizers are often quite anxious to confirm attendance) • Advise the Deputy Corporate Officer immediately if you are unable to keep a • commitment to attend an event • Members of Council are often asked to attend events in their capacity as a Councillor However, if a member of Council is asked to bring greetings on behalf of the Town of Oliver, please bring this request to the attention of the Deputy Corporate Officer to avoid any miscommunication or embarrassment to the Town of Oliver, members of Council or the Mayor’s Office. 6. Chairing a Council Meeting Acting Mayor Protocol Page 3 of 3 The Corporate Officer provides support to Acting Mayors fulfilling this role. If the Acting Mayor is asked to Chair a meeting, if possible, they will be invited to the Agenda Review Meeting that reviews the draft agenda. The Corporate Officer would be happy to meet or speak with the Acting Mayor in advance of a meeting that they will be chairing to review the meeting procedures or answer any questions the Acting Mayor may have. This can be arranged directly with the Corporate Officer or with the assistance of the Deputy Corporate Officer. The CAO is also available to assist the Acting Mayor to provide background as required. 7. Serving as Signatory on Documents If the Mayor’s signature is required but is not available, the Acting Mayor may be asked to sign a document as Acting Mayor. This responsibility is coordinated through the office of the Corporate Officer to ensure the appropriate due diligence has been carried out prior to requesting the signature. 8. Other With respect to the Mayor’s role in an emergency, two members of Council are appointed each term to “Act in the Case of an Emergency” should the Mayor be unavailable or as relief during an extended emergency. These Councillors are advised in advance of the Mayor travelling beyond 100 kilometres from the Town.