Local government in Canada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Local government in Canada lies at a lower level than federal and provincial government. Local government includes general municipalities, as well as more specific bodies such as school boards, and regional health authorities.

1 Municipalities
2 Councils
3 In specific provinces
4 See also
5 External Links

[edit] Municipalities

Most local governments are formed by a charter or act granted by the province or territory. Local governments are not mentioned in the Canadian Constitution other than to say they are responsibility of the provinces. Consequently, municipalities can be created, amalgamated, or disbanded at the whim of the provincial government which controls them. They are also limited in the amount of interaction they have with the federal government because this would infringe upon an area of provincial jurisdiction.

Since each province is responsible for creating local governments in its own territory, the names, functions, and powers of local bodies vary widely across the country. Local governments generally have limited powers, namely creating local by-laws and taxation (property tax).