What exactly would that entail?
By Bryan Laprise
Local Journalism Initiative
The next municipal elections are set to take place on Nov. 2, with some 8,000 councillor roles to be filled, according to the Quebec website.
Roles and responsibilities
In essence, the duties of elected municipal officials are to ensure the proper function of the city or town and the proper functioning of services. Among the jurisdictions of municipalities are waterworks, housing and social housing, culture and leisure, community activities and parks, emergency services (police, firefighting, emergency measures), environment, roads, transportation and local economic, community and cultural development.
The responsibility of elected officials is to represent the interests of citizens while serving the best interests of the municipality. A councillor must attend council meetings, participate in decision-making, vote on all bylaws and, for some, sit on committees.
Many committees are on an MRC or inter-municipal level, especially in small towns. These include police, garbage pickup, etc. Locally, there may be committees for communications and culture. There is also the mandatory Urban Planning Advisory Committee (CCU).
“[A councillor’s] role is limited to the council. Outside of the council, there is no power on the municipality and no power to make decisions. Often, they are also involved in many committees. During the rest of the time, they are a citizen,” explained Jacques Demers, Mayor of Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley and president of the Fédération québécoise des municipalités (FQM).
Mayors must preside over meetings to maintain order and decorum, participate in decision making, signing decisions into law, supervising the application of these bylaws and oversee the work of the municipality. They are also given the right to take emergency measures in situations that put citizens at risk, and they have the power to veto a decision made by the council (though it may be reversed if a majority of councilors re-adopt the measure).
Mayors can intervene at all times, but they are not the “real” boss of employees, said Demers. That is the role of the municipality’s general director. In emergency situations, such as black ice on roads, they can make a quick decision with the director. Bigger projects that are done over time and require investments must pass through the town council for councilors to vote on.
Salaries
The salaries of elected officials depend on what titles they hold and vary by municipality. In Sherbrooke, for example, since 2023, the mayor earns $174,278 annually while councilors are paid $44,961.
Presidents of boroughs, committees, offices and the deputy mayor get additional renumeration. Borough councilors in Lennoxville’s Uplands and Fairview districts are paid $16,734.
In smaller towns, even the mayoral position may be part-time. According to the FQM president, some 80 per cent of people in municipal government have side jobs. “In more than 75 per cent of municipalities, the mayor earns less than $25,000 per year,” he said.
Becoming involved
“I’ve always been involved since I was very young,” Demers shared. “It’s a level of government that I like a lot. When we make a decision, whether it be roads, infrastructure, firefighting, police, it’s concrete, we see the results next day or the next week. We can see what’s happening.”
He urges anyone interested in running for town council to attend a council meeting to better understand the process, decorum and roles they have.
“Sometimes, people are disappointed. They realize that to solve a problem, power is limited around the table,” the FQM president expressed. “Sometimes councillors come in thinking they’re the boss of employees, but no, that’s the job of the general director.”
It is possible to find training and explanatory videos and documents on the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation’s website.
“The strongest councils are those which are the most diverse. Not only men and women, but among age groups, as well. We should also have youth from 18 to 30 years old,” opined the mayor.
Running as a candidate
A last virtual information session will take place for anyone wishing to understand how to run, learn about the responsibilities of councillors, the administration and jurisdictions of a municipality and get additional resources Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. Sign up is required and can be done on the government of Quebec’s website, on the municipal elections 2025 page.
To run in a municipal election, a person must be on the electoral list of their municipality, be 18 years old or older, be a Canadian citizen, be able to vote, reside on the territory of the municipality upon sending their candidature and not have engaged in election fraud.
In addition, a candidate must reside in the municipality for at least six months before the election (May 2, 2025) or be the owner or occupant of a business building for at least 45 days (Sept. 18, 2025).
If eligible, the person must get a declaration of candidature from the chief returning office of the municipality. The document will specify the post desired, represented party (if applicable), signatures of support.
Candidates must collect a given number of signatures based on the number of people who reside in the municipality. A prospective mayor must get between five and 200 signatures. A councillor must get between 5 and 25 signatures.
Applicants have until Oct. 3 at 4:30 p.m. to submit their candidatures. After this point, if a candidate runs unopposed, they will automatically be declared elected.
Following the elections, a person’s mandate begins as soon as they have been sworn (maximum 30 days after being elected). They must also declare their financial interests (which may cause conflicts of interest) and undergo mandatory training on ethics and professional conduct. All election signs must be taken down by Nov. 17.
Tense environment
Some 10 per cent of municipal elected officials quit their post within the last four years, resulting in 24 municipalities having to be administered temporarily by the Commission municipal Québec.
Data received from Élection Québec reveals that since the past elections, 1,082 councillor and mayor seats have become vacant, including 99 in the Townships, which resulted in 79 byelections (up to Dec. 31, 2024). Bas-Saint-Laurent took the lead with 176 vacancies, followed by Chaudière-Appalaches with 162.
A CMQ report following a request for mediation on behalf of the Sherbrooke council in Feb. 2024 found that disrespectful behaviour and personal attacks led to a toxic environment. Two councillors resigned from important roles as the Société de transport de Sherbrooke president and executive committee chair. Councillors had reported inefficency, micromanagement and a lack of transparency within the city governance.
In response, a committee was established to propose solutions to the problems including the prioritization of the CMQ recommendations to favour an environment more prone to progress and respect.