Policies that every municipality in Ontario must have

Section 270 of the Municipal Act requires that all municipalities adopt and maintain policies with respect to the following matters:

1. Real Property Acquisition and Disposition Policy – Sale and disposition of land
2. Recruitment, Selection and Hiring – Hiring employees
3. Council-Staff Relations Policy – Relationship between members of council and the officers and employees of the municipality
4. Purchasing Policies for the Procurement of Goods and/or Services – How goods and services are purchased
5. Public Notice Policy – How notice is provided to the public and, if notice is to be provided, the form, manner and times notice shall be given
6. Accountability and Transparency Policy – How it is accountable to the public for its actions, and how it ensures that its actions are transparent to the public
   • Brampton
   • Sudbury
   • Collingwood
7. Delegation of Powers Policy – Delegation of its powers and duties
8. Tree Canopy and Natural Vegetation Policy – How they will protect and enhance the tree canopy and natural vegetation in the municipality
9. Council Pregnancy and Parental Leave Policy – Pregnancy leaves and parental leaves of members of council

Other municipal policies

See how complete, detailed and accessible these municipalities’ policies are:

• London
• Ottawa
  • Council-Staff Relations Policy
  • Council Expense Policy
  • Employee Code of Conduct
• Kingston
  • Affordable Housing Land Acquisition Policy
  • Open Data Policy
• Peterborough
• Guelph
  • Council Vacancy Policy
  • Community Engagement Policy
• Pemberton
  • Video Recording & Broadcasting of Open Meetings
  • Electronic and Hybrid Meetings Policy
  • Council Correspondence Policy

Why are policies important?

All governments, government bodies, and government agencies act within a legislative system of principles (Municipal Act, Official Plan, Constitution, Charter of Rights and Freedoms) to manage the land and govern the constituency by making good decisions that have an affect on the direction of society.

A policy is a deliberate system of principles to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes within the legislative system of principles. It is a statement of intent that provides guidance, consistency, accountability, efficiency, and clarity on how an organization operates, assisting with subjective and objective decision making.

That is why policy “principles” have to come first to give meaning to the values for good governance, decision-making, and service delivery.