The City of St. Catharines is governed by a Mayor and 12 City Councillors, who are all elected every four years. There are six wards in St. Catharines - Merritton, St. Andrew's, St. George's, St. Patrick's, Grantham and Port Dalhousie. Each ward is represented by two City Councillors.
View the current St. Catharines Mayor and the duties of the Mayor's Office.
View the current St. Catharines ward councillors.
Council meetings
Upcoming Council meeting dates are available in our Meetings Calendar. Unless noted in the Meeting Calendar, Council Meetings begin at 6 p.m.
The proceedings of Council Meetings are regulated by By-law 2021-124 - A By-law to regulate the proceedings of Council of The Corporation of the City of St. Catharines.
Agendas and Minutes
Please use the links below to access agendas and minutes:
Council Minutes Council Agendas
Participating in Council Meetings
Visit our speaking at a Council meeting page to learn about making in-person and electronic delegations at meetings of Council.
Watching Council Meetings
- Regular Council meetings are livestreamed to the City's YouTube channel (stcatharines.ca/YouTube).
- Regular Council meetings also air live on YourTV (formerly known as TV Cogeco).
- The public can also attend regular meetings in person in Council Chambers at City Hall. Council Chambers is located on the third floor of City Hall. Enter using the James Street entrance. The James Street doors open 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. Seating is first come, first served.
Live stream archives of City Council meetings held after March 10, 2020 are available on the City's YouTube Channel.
Council Meeting Recordings
For live stream archives of Council meetings held prior to March 10, 2020, please contact the Office of the City Clerk to arrange for a copy of the archive.
Strong Mayor Powers
On July 1, 2023, the Province of Ontario extended the use of Strong Mayor Powers to the City of St. Catharines under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001 c. 25 and in accordance with O. Reg. 580/22.
Mayoral Powers under the Municipal Act |
Under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, the Mayor has the following special powers and duties as the head of Council:
- Appoint the Chief Administrative Officer;*
- Hire and dismiss certain City officials and determine the organizational structure of the City of St. Catharines;*
- Create or dissolve committees of Council, appoint the Chairs and Vice-Chairs and assign their functions;*
- Bring matters forward to Council for consideration that in the Mayor's opinion could potentially advance a prescribed provincial priority;
- Veto certain by-laws approved by Council that in the Mayor's opinion that all or part of the by-law could potentially interfere with a prescribed provincial priority;
- Propose and prepare the municipal budget by Feb. 1, which would be subject to Council amendments and Mayoral veto and Council override process; and
- Direct City staff in writing.
* The Mayor may choose to delegate these specific powers and duties.
The Mayor is required to exercise these powers in writing and make them available to the public, subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. A public listing of Mayoral Decisions is available in the chart below.
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Mayoral Decisions |
Details of Mayoral Decisions
Date | Number | Subject Matter |
July 14, 2023 |
2023-01 |
Delegation - Chief Administrative Officer |
July 14, 2023 |
2023-02 |
Delegation - Organizational Structure and Employment Matters |
July 14, 2023 |
2023-03 |
Delegation - Committees |
July 26, 2023 |
2023-04 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the July 24, 2023 meeting |
Aug. 14, 2023 |
2023-05 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Aug. 14, 2023 meeting |
Sept. 11, 2023 |
2023-06 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Sept. 11, 2023 meeting |
Sept. 20, 2023 |
2023-07 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Sept. 20, 2023 meeting |
Sept. 25, 2023 |
2023-08 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Sept. 25, 2023 meeting |
Oct. 16, 2023 meeting |
2023-09 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Oct. 16, 2023 meeting |
Oct. 30, 2023 |
2023-10 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Oct. 30, 2023 meeting |
Nov. 1, 2023 |
2023-11 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Nov. 1, 2023 meeting |
Nov. 13, 2023 |
2023-12 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Nov. 13, 2023 meeting |
Nov. 22, 2023 |
2023-13 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Nov. 22, 2023 meeting |
Nov. 27, 2023 |
2023-14 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Nov. 27, 2023 meeting |
Dec. 11, 2023 |
2023-15 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Dec. 11, 2023 meeting |
Jan. 10, 2024 |
2024-01 |
Approval of By-law passed at the Jan. 10, 2024 meeting |
Jan. 15, 2024 |
2024-02 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Jan. 15, 2024 meeting |
Jan. 22, 2024 |
2024-03 |
Approval of By-law passed at the Jan. 22, 2024 meeting |
Jan. 29, 2024 |
2024-04 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Jan. 29, 2024 meeting |
Feb. 2, 2024 |
2024-05 |
To shorten veto period for budget; and
To provide notice that the Mayor did not veto any budget amendments
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Feb. 12, 2024 |
2024-06 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the Feb. 12, 2024 meeting
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March 4, 2024 |
2024-07 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the March 4, 2024 meeting
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March 18, 2024 |
2024-08 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the March 18, 2024 meeting
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April 8, 2024 |
2024-09 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the April 8, 2024 meeting
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April 15, 2024 |
2024-10 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the April 15, 2024 meeting
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April 17, 2024 |
2024-11 |
Direction to Staff: Safeguarding the health and wellbeing of shelter residents
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April 29, 2024 |
2024-12 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the April 29, 2024 meeting
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May 6, 2024 |
2024-13 |
Direction to Staff: Planning Expedition |
May 13, 2024 |
2024-14 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the May 13, 2024 meeting |
May 27, 2024 |
2024-15 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the May 27, 2024 meeting |
June 10, 2024 |
2024-16 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the June 10, 2024 meeting |
June 24, 2024 |
2024-17 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the June 24, 2024 meeting |
July 22, 2024 |
2024-18 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the July 22, 2024 meeting |
August 2, 2024 |
2024-19 |
Direction to Staff: Costs Associated with Homelessness, Drug Addiction, Mental Health and Street-Involved Behaviour |
August 12, 2024 |
2024-20 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the August 12, 2024 meeting |
August 26, 2024 |
2024-21 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the August 26, 2024 meeting |
September 9, 2024 |
2024-22 |
Approval of By-laws passed at the September 9, 2024 meeting |
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Accountability and transparency
View our accountability and transparency information page for elected officials, advisory committees, Board and task force members for more on:
- Code of Conduct
- Conflict of interest
- Closed (in-camera) meetings
- Freedom of Information requests
- Integrity Commissioner
- Ontario Ombudsman
Upper-tier government representatives
Learn about our area's upper-tier government representatives, including representatives for Niagara Region, the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada.