Council Training

Council members are encouraged to take the Conflict of Interest Training and 10 Minute Trainers shown below.

Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when a person in public life is in a position where a private interest may, or may appear, to conflict with his or her role as a municipal council member.

The Ministry of Government Relations developed the following online training modules to help elected council members understand conflict of interest:

• Module 1: What is a conflict of interest?
• Module 2: What do you, as an elected official, do if you have a conflict of interest?
• Module 3: Supporting documents for conflict of interest 

10 Minute Trainers

10 Minute Trainers may be just what you're looking for if:

• You are new to municipal council or administration; or
• You would like to expand your knowledge in your given role.

This training package has been developed to help councils work together more effectively using everyday examples they might face on the job.

The training is led by the administrator and designed to help councils help themselves, using their own legislation like their council procedures bylaw.

Each section contains a one to two-minute video highlighting a different situation that councils might face. The videos are light and humorous, and are designed to encourage important discussion. The goal is to improve your success as a municipal council.

10 Minute Trainers are an excellent team-building resource that costs nothing and can be completed in your municipality.

Module 1 - Council Procedures

There's an old saying that 'when everything else fails, read the instructions.' Your council procedures bylaw is your go-to guide to conducting municipal business, and it needs to be followed and put into daily practice.

There are three different sections in this module, including:

1. how to make a rush council decision;
2. how to deal with unexpected agenda items; and
3. how to get your council back on track when things aren't working.

These sections focus on everything from special meetings and the minimum numbers of council required for a vote to pass, to dealing with delegations and committees.

In Module 1, you will discover whether your current practices are in line with your council procedures bylaw. If problems arise, 10 Minute Trainers will help open the lines of communication so you can get back on track.

Module 2 - Roles and Responsibilities

It is said that 'it takes a village to raise a child'; it also takes a team to manage a municipality. Clarity about who does what needs to be established and put into daily practice. Often new and returning members of municipal council are given a copy of the Municipal Council Members Handbook. The handbook explains what council members can expect during their term in office, the role of council and administration, information about the various aspects of running their municipality and tips to make their term of office successful.

For this council training module, there are three different sections including:

1. the Roles of an Administrator;
2. the Roles of Council Members; and
3. the Blurred Lines.

These sections focus on defining the differences in the roles between administrators and the elected. They assist in creating conversation to ensure the overall municipal team is working effectively.

In Module 2 you will discover any challenges your municipality has about role definition and be able to problem solve those challenges. 10 Minute Trainers can also help open the lines of communication on the team.