Owen Sound Council has Lost it's Way

In many small municipalities across Ontario, municipal councils are made up of part-time elected officials. Most have full-time jobs, family responsibilities, and limited time to prepare for complex policy discussions. This part-time structure, though cost-efficient, creates a power vacuum that can be quietly filled by full-time municipal staff who have the time, resources, and institutional knowledge to shape outcomes behind the scenes.

One common method by which staff influence council decisions is through the structure and volume of meeting materials. Councillors are frequently provided with extensive agendas, staff reports, and technical appendices that can take many hours to digest. On the top of these materials is often a single-page "staff recommendation" — a concise summary that tells councillors what staff believe they should decide. With limited time to review hundreds of pages and without access to independent analysis, many often default to accepting staff’s recommendations.

Another mechanism of informal staff control is their frequent and sometimes inappropriate participation in debates during council and committee meetings. While the procedural role of staff is to respond to questions, some staff members blur this boundary by offering opinions, justifying their recommendations, or steering discussions during deliberation. This can pressure councillors to align with staff positions and discourage dissent or independent thinking, particularly for newer or less confident council members. Check out this example - Staff Drive the Vote!

These dynamics shift the balance of power. Instead of elected officials directing municipal priorities and providing oversight, staff may begin to shape policy direction, budget allocations, and long-term planning with minimal democratic scrutiny. While most municipal staff are competent and well-intentioned, the potential for unelected personnel to influence or even dominate decision-making is a concern in a representative democracy.

Review our ideas for changing this dynamic at: RemakeCouncil.COM