Vancouver City Council is the governing body of

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

, British Columbia. The

council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...

consists of a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

and ten councillors elected to serve a four-year term. Monthly, a deputy mayor is appointed from among the councillors. The current mayor is

Ken Sim Kenneth Sim (; born October 18, 1970) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 41st mayor of Vancouver since 2022. Biography Born in Vancouver, Sim attended Magee Secondary School, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary Schoo ...

, who leads the party ABC Vancouver. City council meetings are held in Vancouver City Hall. The most recent election was on October 15, 2022.

Structure

Unlike many other cities of its size, all Vancouver city councillors are elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

, rather than being elected to represent municipal wards. A proposal to move to a conventional ward system was rejected by voters in a 2004 referendum. The mayor chairs council meetings and appoints members to regional boards, such as the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors. The

Vancouver Charter The Vancouver Charter is a provincial statute that incorporates the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The legislation was passed in 1953 and supersedes the '' Vancouver Incorporation Act, 1921''. It grants the city different powers th ...

outlines the structure, powers and responsibility of the city council. Under the charter, the mayor and City Council have the power to: * Pass by-laws regulating such things as businesses, building, noise, and land use * Buy and sell property * Collect property taxes and other taxes * Approve major spending for all parts of the City government * Take on debt * Allocate funds for special activities, such as arts and community services * Set up departments and offices for City services * Hire staff for City departments and offices Council also maintains a number of standing committees which meet to deliberate on specific topics and hear from speakers. Examples include the City Finance and Services Committee and the Policy and Strategic Priorities Committee. Each committee consists of the entire City Council. City Council also holds public hearings for spot rezonings.

Membership

Since 2022

2018–2022

2014–2018

2011–2014

2008–2011

2005–2008

2002–2005

Notes

References

External links

Vancouver City Council

Vancouver's elected representatives, by Wayne D. Madden
A compilation of election results for Vancouver, British Columbia at the municipal, provincial and federal levels through 2002. Available on Internet Archive. {{Authority control Municipal councils in British Columbia Municipal government of Vancouver