Particulars of meetings were brought forward. Councillors have to declare a conflict of interest if they have one on an issue, and excuse themselves. There are in camera sessions, which are not public, for very few issues.
They do meet with the public at meetings, and the head of council said there were times where information from the public caused them to reverse decisions. Council works for the public, Swanson explained, so their input is very important.
Contact with the public is therefore a big part of the job. As presented, council members will receive phone calls and emails, but will also be approached in places like the grocery store.
Demands on a councillor’s time ebbs and flows through the year and a four-year term. Budget meetings are an example of this extra time.
There are financial compensations for councillors. An annual indemnity is $13,467.37 for councillors and $17,857.82 for head of council plus cost of Blue Cross. There is also compensation for committee and conference work.
Swanson said in a rural/urban municipality, it is good to have representation from both. However, without specific wards, the mix cannot be assured. She reminded everyone that serving Boissevain-Morton as a whole was key.
“Once you are elected, you are responsible for everything, not just your ward, not just urban or rural. You make decisions for everything.”
As well as regular and committee meetings, councillors may support other community initiatives like parades or staff events.
CAO Leo Poulin gave a brief introduction to his role. Implementing policy is his responsibility, and he said one of the keys was to have a good working relationship with council and the head of council. He works to get best value for ratepayers, prepares agendas, attends all meetings, prepares minutes, drafts contracts, administers staff and much more. Poulin said he was the direct link between council policy and staff implementation.
Poulin is also the chief electoral officer, and went over some of the requirements. One was to keep track of all campaign expenses; statements of these must be filed no later than 210 days after the election.
When discussions came to budgeting, Swanson reminded everyone present the municipality was the only level of government that was required to balance its budgets.
Swanson and councillors discussed other issues in the latter part of the meeting. Sometimes there are frustrations that come up as projects, like the lagoon, do not move as quickly as they would like. Those running for council have to remember they work as a team, and must work for common goals. There were questions about number of boards they sit on, what happens if there is a vacancy after an election, what is the specific role of the head of council and more. Councillors spoke of what they had learned over their time and how it can be challenging but satisfying to serve the community.
The 2026 election will be held on October 28.
“Hopefully some of you will think about running,” Swanson said. “You will never be bored. There is plenty to keep you interested. I think it’s important to know what’s going on in the community. Hopefully you will think about it.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff