Annual regional district meetings

Regional district boards must present the annual financial statements and report on the directors’ remuneration and expenses at an annual public meeting.

Meeting requirements

Each year, after the regional district's annual financial statements and any reports to be presented at the meeting have been prepared and made available for public inspection, the board must present the documents at a public meeting.

The meeting may be part of a regular board meeting, a special board meeting or another public meeting, or the board may choose to hold a dedicated meeting.

The meeting must occur by June 30 in each year and the board must publish notice in accordance with section 94 of the Community Charter with the date, time and place of the meeting and that the financial statements and reports are available for public inspection at the regional district offices.

• Community Charter, section 94 - Requirements for public notices

Boards may wish to consider the following points when planning for the annual meeting.

Dedicated meeting

It’s up to the regional district board to determine the best option for holding the annual meeting--either as part of a board meeting or another public meeting, or as a separate meeting. Keep in mind that the goal is to facilitate public access to the meeting, as well as an effective presentation by the board of its financial statements and other reports.

Meeting setting

The regular meeting location is appropriate for most regional district board meetings, however, it may not be the best setting for the public and the board to review the annual report.

The primary purpose of the annual meeting is to provide a forum to allow citizens to ask questions on the statements and report and other matters. The board may choose a less formal setting, such as a community centre, theatre or school gymnasium for this meeting.

Meeting follow-up

Regional district board members and staff may not be able to answer every question that is posed at the annual meeting. Recording questions that require follow-up allow for answers to be provided by board members and staff. These can be communicated to the public through a website, local newspaper, newsletter or at a subsequent meeting.

Some people may be reluctant, even in an informal setting, to ask questions, so boards may want to accept questions in writing. This also provides an opportunity for the board to prepare responses.

How to proceed

The regional district board will need to decide how it wants to proceed with its annual meeting early enough in the year to make the necessary arrangements.

The board may want public input on the format of the meeting. Based on the input, the board can consider what advertising will be sufficient to make the public aware of the time and place of the annual meeting.

Public notices are a key mechanism to inform the public of opportunities to participate in local government decision-making and share views on a given matter. The Community Charter section 94 sets out the minimum requirements for public notice, but it does not limit any additional information that the local government may choose to incorporate into a notice or additional methods the local government may choose to provide notice to its community.