Local government special meetings

Municipalities and regional districts have the authority to conduct special meetings. A special meeting is a council or board meeting other than a regular or statutory meeting.

Conducting special meetings

In general, municipal councils and regional district boards conduct their business during regularly scheduled meetings. However, there will be occasions when a council or board needs to call a special meeting, for example:

• A new bylaw may be required to prohibit a particular activity that, in the absence of the bylaw, would likely occur soon. A council or board may hold a special meeting for timely adoption of the bylaw if their regular meeting schedule, and the need to separate the first three readings of the bylaw from fourth reading and final adoption, would result in unacceptable delays.
• A council or board may choose to schedule special meetings at budget time to allow members to focus solely on their review of the municipality or board’s proposed financial plan.
• Councils and boards may choose to hold special meetings to debate important development projects or the implications of major events to the municipality or regional district.

Special meeting requirements

Municipalities

A municipal council special meeting may be called by:

• The mayor, or
• The mayor upon request by two or more council members, or
• Two or more council members under specified circumstances

Municipal staff members are required to post a notice of every special council meeting, including the date, time and place and purpose of the meeting, unless council unanimously votes to not provide notice. The notice must be posted at the regular council meeting place, the public notice posting places, and sent to each council member.

• Community Charter, section 126 - Calling of special council meetings

Regional districts

A special regional district board meeting must be called by the corporate officer at the request of the board chair or any two directors. Board staff members are required to post a notice of every special board meeting, including the date, time and place and purpose of the meeting, unless the board unanimously votes to not provide notice. The notice must be posted at the regular board meeting place, the public notice posting places, and sent to each board member.

• Local Government Act, section 220 - Calling of special board meetings

Conducting special meetings electronically

In general, municipal councils and regional district boards conduct their business during regularly scheduled meetings.

Sometimes a council or board may need to call a special meeting. In cases where in-person attendance is not possible, the council or board could choose to hold the special meeting electronically if their procedure bylaw authorizes it.

• Learn how to hold a meeting electronically