Dundee

Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The Quebec government has decided to allow municipalities with fewer than 2,000 residents to reduce the number of seats on municipal councils.

The province cites difficulties in recruiting willing candidates during elections as motivation behind the decision, which will allow less-populated municipalities to run councils with as few as four elected members.

Municipalities are currently required to have six representatives on council.

The change was introduced as part of Bill 57, a wide-reaching law aimed at protecting elected municipal officials while promoting the unimpeded exercise of their functions. The bill also amends various legislative provisions respecting municipal affairs. The bill, which was adopted in the National Assembly on June 6, will allow municipalities to reduce the composition of their council as of the next general election, scheduled for November 2, 2025.

Radio-Canada reports that the municipal affairs minister, Andrée Laforest, spoke with several people closely involved with municipal politics before enacting this law, including mayors and prefects as well as representatives of the Fédération québécoise des municipalités (FQM) and the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ).

According to 2023 population estimates by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, eligible Valley municipalities include Dundee, Elgin, Franklin, Godmanchester, Havelock, Howick, Sainte-Barbe, Très-Saint-Sacrement, and Hemmingford Village.

Municipalities that are considering making this change must act fast to adopt a bylaw before the end of this year, and there is a process that must be followed.

According to the law, a draft bylaw must be presented to the population during a public consultation meeting chaired by the mayor and attended by a majority of council members, as well as the clerk or clerk-treasurer. A bylaw, which would make permanent changes to the composition of the municipal council, may then be adopted at a meeting following the consultation.

Dundee mayor Linda Gagnon says she intends to bring this up with members of the municipal council during a work session in October. “If we want to move in this direction, we have to move fast,” she acknowledges, while noting there are some pros and cons, and she does not want to rush things. 

Gagnon says the municipality is not having trouble recruiting councillors. “Reducing the council to four members might help with the budget, but democracy wants the opinion of as many people as possible to be heard,” she explains. “Going in this direction just to cut expenses requires careful consideration.” 

If a bylaw is passed, the elected officials currently in office would be able to complete their mandate. The four councillor positions and that of the mayor will then be opened to candidates during the 2025 general election period.