Urgent “walk on” motions

A motion without notice (or urgent motion, “new business”, “walk-on” resolution) is a motion introduced during a meeting that was not previously included on the published meeting agenda, meaning prior notice of the motion was not given to the public.

Rules regarding walk-on motions are generally outlined in the Procedural Bylaw, which outlines the rules for how meetings are to be conducted. Every municipality and local board (eg. Police Service Board) is required to have a Procedural Bylaw under the Municipal Act, 2001.

In simple terms, ‘walk-on’ resolutions are unscheduled, ‘surprise’ motions introduced at the last minute. Critics often view them as a tactic for councils to slip controversial decisions or spending expenditures through the approval process with minimal public notice to avoid scrutiny or blowback.

When a council passes a motion that wasn’t on the published agenda, the public (and media) effectively lose their ability to:

• Witness the decision-making process (if they didn’t tune in because the agenda looked routine).
• Know what is being decided before it happens.
• Prepare delegations or feedback.

Common uses of a walk on resolution

The Niagara Reporter identified the 3 most common uses of walk on resolution ploys:

• Mistakes/laziness
• Avoiding previous public scrutiny
• Presenting supporting documentation at the last minute

We couldn’t get our act together on time so we had to walk it on late.

More often than not this walk on results from a bureaucratic screwup or simple laziness of staff. This happens more than it should but is never identified as such. Usually this walk on gambit is justified with the cover story of “staff was working really, really hard on this and the lateness couldn’t be avoided.”

Look over there not over here as we walk this controversial item on in the hope that no one notices.

This is the bread and butter move by confabulating city hall denizens as they present an item as an unavoidable “walk on” when the reality is that it’s been prepared days if not weeks earlier. By keeping it off the agenda and presenting it as a walk on it skirts any previous scrutiny. Historically these items are the result of a charade orchestrated by the mayor and the council chairman, if not the council majority.

We had the actual subject item on the agenda all along, we’re just presenting the supporting documentation late.

Is incredibly crafty and is only used for matters of supreme non transparency.

The Niagara Reporter

Procedural Bylaw examples

Belleville

Belleville’s Procedural By-law (2019-48) allows members to raise any new items that were not included in the agenda under the “New Business” section of the meeting. Items may be raised under New Business if they are considered by the Member to be of “urgent concern” and within Council’s jurisdiction, or are of “general interest”.

They need a two-thirds majority vote to pass it right then and there. If they don’t get 2/3, it gets pushed to the next meeting (restoring public notice).

Urgent or “Walk-on” motions under New Business

New Business

Under New Business, Council shall consider items:

• (i) referred to New Business pursuant to a Deputation; and
• (ii) raised by a Member that, in the opinion of the Member, are of urgent concern and within the jurisdiction of Council, or are of general interest.

Under New Business, substantive motions may be put forward with respect to items, but to be adopted by Council without issuance of a Notice of Motion, the question shall be supported by minimum two-thirds of the whole Council, failing which the proposed resolution shall be placed on the meeting agenda under Motions for consideration at the next Regular Council Meeting.

Motions

The Clerk shall ensure that proposed motions for which Notice of Motion has been given, or otherwise failed to secure the requisite minimum two-thirds majority support of the whole Council pursuant to items raised in New Business at a previous meeting, are included in the meeting agenda.

Notice of Motions

Any Member may provide notice of his/her intent to introduce a motion for the
consideration of Council at the next Regular Council Meeting by:

• (i) filing with the Clerk in writing, no later than 4:30 p.m. on the Tuesday preceding the date of a regular Council Meeting, a proposed resolution that the Member intends to put forward for consideration at the Council Meeting, and such proposed motion shall be included on the meeting agenda; or
• (ii) giving written notice to Council during Notice of Motions that the Member intends at the next Regular Council Meeting to introduce a motion with respect to a matter so declared.

Section 7.10

New motions via suspension of the rules

Suspension of the Rules

During a Council meeting, any Member may introduce a motion in writing that Council temporarily suspend the rules established by this By-law in order to introduce a motion with respect to an item that is not listed on the meeting agenda, stating the subject matter for which the suspension of the rules is being sought.

A motion to suspend the rules shall require the support of minimum two-thirds of the whole Council.

Upon adoption of a motion to suspend the rules, the Member so making the motion to suspend the rules may introduce a motion respecting the matter for which the suspension of the rules was granted.

Section 4.10

Guelph

The City of Guelph’s Procedural By-law (2025-21067) is significantly more restrictive than Belleville’s.

Unlike Belleville, Guelph’s by-law does not have a standing “New Business” section on the agenda where members can raise new topics. Items cannot generally be added to the agenda after it is distributed.

Items can only be added if urgent (prior to next meeting) and directed by the Mayor, Chair, CAO or Deputy CAO

An item can only be added to the Revised Agenda if directed by the Mayor or Chair, CAO, and/or Deputy CAO. The matter must be of an urgent nature that requires a decision prior to the next meeting.

Items or matters will not be added to the agenda after distribution to Council or committee unless directed by the Mayor or chair, CAO and/or Deputy CAO and if the urgent nature of the matter requires a decision prior to the next Council or committee meeting.

Section 4.6.2

Motions to Suspend the Rules

If a member of council wants to introduce a motion that is not on the agenda and has not been added by the Mayor/CAO as “urgent,” they must move to suspend the rules:

Suspension of Rules

No provision of this by-law shall be suspended except by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the entire Council (nine members) for each incidence of suspension of the rules.

The suspension shall only apply to the procedure(s) or rule(s) which are stated within the motion to suspend and only during the meeting in which such motion was introduced.

Any section of the Procedure Bylaw that is prescribed by the Act or any other relevant legislation may not be suspended.

Section 2.3