Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Fort McMurray, AB

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is governed by a Mayor and ten Councillors. All members of Council are elected from the region in accordance with the Local Authorities Election Act. Members of Council serve for a period of (3) years commencing from the organizational meeting held in October following a general election. The Council develops policies, adopts bylaws or resolutions based on these policies and then ensures that they are executed by the administration. The Municipal Government Act provides that Council can only exercise their power of the municipal corporation in the proper form, either by bylaw or resolution passed at a regular or special meeting when a quorum is present and that all these decisions must be made in public. It is important to recognize that the members of Council cannot make valid and binding decisions separately, even though there is unanimous agreement. They must give a collective judgement as a group and not as individuals.