Mayor and Council

Gravenhurst Council consists of the Mayor and eight Councillors. Your Council members serve for a four-year term with the Mayor and three District Councillors elected by all voters in Gravenhurst. The remaining five Council members are elected by voters within their specific wards.

Council Meetings

Meetings are open to the public and take place at Town Hall 3-5 Pineridge Gate. Agendas and Minutes are available Online.

Strategic Plan

Gravenhurst has a Community-Based Strategic Plan that will serve as the road map for the Town's future actions. The plan will help to guide the decisions of Council for the remainder of their term and offer an important platform for future Councils to assess priorities moving forward.

Key goals

The plan identifies five key goal areas:

Build Economic & Employment Opportunities
Build a Safer, Healthier & More Environmentally Sustainable Community
Build Our Partnerships, Connections & Connectivity
Build Our Cultural Capital
Provide Better Municipal Service

Guidance and implementation

Under the leadership of the Chief Administrative Officer, the Strategic Plan will guide the actions of staff and help to make decisions about day to day operational matters. Annually during budget deliberations, staff will present any requests for additional resources and other details about the implementation of the priorities identified in the plan.

Code of Conduct

Provincial legislation requires that municipalities establish a code of conduct for members of the Council and local boards.

Integrity Commissioner

The Council Code of Conduct and Municipal Conflict of Interest Act is overseen by the Town appointed independent Integrity Commissioner, Suzanne Craig, who is responsible to:

Provide information and direction to Council and Committee members on the Code and Act.
Coordinate education and procedural training on the policies, Code and Act to Council, staff, and members of the community.
Conduct investigations and providing reports on alleged breaches of the Code and Act
Provide annual reports to Council on any requests of the Integrity Commissioner.
The Integrity Commissioner has authority under the Municipal Act.

Contact information

Any person who has reasonable grounds to believe that a Member has breached a provision of the Code or Act, may file a complaint with the Town’s Integrity Commissioner by any one of the following:

Suzanne Craig

(705) 687-2230, ext. 2262

suzannecraigintegrity@gmail.com

Forms

Formal Complaint Process Affidavits:

Memorandum/Annual Reports

Below are memorandums prepared by the Integrity Commissioner providing information for Members of Council on their obligations under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and processes.

Investigative Reports

Disclosures of Pecuniary Interest

All members of Council, local boards and committees have an obligation to act honestly and responsibly when making decisions or giving advice on Council, board or committee matters. This obligation includes the disclosure of pecuniary interest.

A pecuniary interest refers to a situation where a member has a direct or indirect conflict related to a matter under consideration. A full explanation of direct and indirect pecuniary interests can be found in the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.

The onus is on the member to determine whether they are affected by the pecuniary interest provisions. All members must submit their disclosures of pecuniary interest in writing to the Clerk immediately following the meeting during which they verbally disclose a pecuniary interest using the Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest Form.

Registries of the written disclosures of pecuniary interests are available below.

GHS Bursary Award

Council likes to show its support for students of Gravenhurst High School and participates annually in the GHS Bursary Award Program.

The Town is pleased to have an online submission form for students wishing to apply. This link will be live from March 1^st to May 31^st each year.

GHS Bursary Application Form

Request Mayor and Council

Members of Council are frequently asked to attend events and activities in the community. Some of those activities include new business openings/ribbon cuttings, property owner association meetings, flag raisings and individual celebrations for special birthdays or anniversaries. Please complete and submit the Request Mayor and Council Form.

Deputation Form

If you wish to speak before Council, please complete and return the Request for Deputation form. Be sure to check the guidelines in the request form. All deputations/delegations to Council must be in accordance with the Procedural By-law.

Committee of the Whole meetings

Council receives deputations/delegations at the Committee of the Whole meeting held on the third Tuesday of each month.

Helpful hint for your deputation

Speak with a member of staff first. Not all matters require a presentation to Council. If you are not sure, contact us to discuss first. Contact the Legislative Services Department

Request for Congratulatory Certificate

Council recognizes local residents by providing plaques for certain birthday (80th, 90th, 100th) or anniversary (50th, 60th, 75th) milestones. Congratulatory certificates may be provided for milestones occurring at intervals not identified above. Thirty (30) days' notice is required for plaques. Please complete and submit the Request Mayor and Council Form.

Remuneration and Expenses for Members of Council and Appointed Committees