Governance

Council is now operating with the Governance system descibed here.  The bylaw covering this was passed at the September 25, 2024 Council meeting.  Download here: Procedural By-Law 050-2024

Standing Committee Structure

There are three Standing Committees

• Corporate, Finance and Legislative
• Public Works, Planning & Development
• Community Services, Protection and Economic Development

Standing Committees are affiliated with municipal divisions and overall municipal priorities and policy decisions.

Membership

• Three (3) Members of Council on each Committee
• Mayor sits on each Standing Committee making one of the three (3) members. If the Mayor cannot attend, the Deputy Mayor will be the alternate.
• Municipal Clerk, Deputy Clerk and CAO attend each Standing Committee, and the appropriate Divisional Director and Staff based on Standing Committee area only. Staff only attend their own Committee.
• The Chair of each Standing Committee will be determined by Members and will rotate on an annual basis
• Council Members will be given the choice mid-way through the Council Term to change which Standing Committees they participate in.
• Other Members of Council may attend Standing Committees which they are not members of to ask questions and hear information to prepare for Regular Council Meetings - but they cannot vote.

Details of Responsibilities

Download a list of responsibilities for each committee.

Decision Making Process

• All staff reports are to be submitted to their respective Standing Committee for deliberation. Members vote to recommend that Council approve the suggested course of action, or they could make alternate proposals through amendments.
• Standing Committee decisions and recommendations from Advisory Committees and Task Forces will be reported to the respective Standing Committee with a recommendation and then if endorsed sent on to Council. If more information is needed, Council may receive more information on a recommendation from Staff to be brought back to the Committee, or prior to being brought back before the Regular Council Meeting.
• Correspondence will be separated and organized between Standing Committees and actions, or recommendations discussed if necessary and then forwarded on for action to Regular Council if not just received for information purposes.  Correspondence is listed on escribe every Friday at 4:00 pm.
• At a Regular Council meeting, a vote will be taken to approve the recommendation of the standing committee, or of staff, and then embody the decision in a Resolution or By-law.  At this meeting, Council can accept or change the recommendation.
• The Regular Council Meeting Agenda will have consent agendas with Standing Committee recommendations that will be passed in a single resolution. If there is more information needed or a vote was not unanimous, these items will be placed on the Regular Agenda for a separate vote.

Public Participation

• To increase the Town's accountability and transparency, staff have introduced the concept of a "Speaker" at a Council meeting and clarified the requirements of a Delegation.  Speakers address items on the Agenda whereas Delegations bring up a new subject.
• Historically, members of the public have not been provided with an opportunity to speak at Council regarding a staff report directly before being deliberated by Council.

Delegation:

• A Delegation is defined as a person or group who has made a written request to address Council on a subject that is not on the Council agenda.
• If a member of the public would like to speak to a matter not on the Council Agenda they may register as a Delegation with the Clerk's Office, prior to the distribution of the agenda - 9 days in advance. This provides greater transparency for the public as anyone viewing the agenda upon publishing will receive ample notice of all matters for Council's consideration.
• If an urgent delegation request is received outside of the prescribed timelines, it may be included on the Agenda at the Clerk's discretion.

Speaker:

• A Speaker is defined as a member of the public who wishes to speak or submit comments to Council on a staff report that is included on a Council Agenda
• Speakers would be able to speak directly after staff present their Staff Report and prior to Council deliberation on the matter.
• The introduction of the Speaker will allow members of the public attending in person to register at the beginning of the meeting to voice their comments to Council at the time the report is being considered.  Notice required is right up to the day of the Council meeting.
• A Speaker can also submit correspondence relating to a Staff Report by noon, seven (7) days prior to the meeting and it will be included on the agenda as correspondence from the public with the applicable staff report. 
• Speakers can also request that Correspondence be added to Council's Agenda.

Task Forces

• To provide greater accountability and transparency while balancing the intent to streamline Council Meetings, Task Forces will replace most Advisory committees.
• Council may constitute a Task Force to consider and report on a specific subject, project, or undertaking.
• When a Task Force has been appointed by Council, the Members will be appointed by By-law.
• When a Task Force has completed its work and made its final report to Council, the Task Force shall be deemed to be discharged.

Local Boards

• Statutory Local Boards are maintained; also 
  The Advisory committees are:
  • Accessibility Advisory Committee
  • Heritage Advisory Committee
  • Others which may be mandated from time to time.
  • More on Advisory committees here.
• Council may enact Citizen Advisory Committees to Council and consider the creation of Task Forces and Ad Hoc Committees based on the Council Strategic Plan with a specific mandate to achieve Council goals and initiatives during the Council Term.

Meeting Schedule

The schedule for meetings is provided on this page.

"Strong Mayor" applies to Cobourg

Effective 1 May 2025, Ontario extends "Strong Mayor" powers to Cobourg (and others like Port Hope and Brighton)

Strong mayor powers and duties include:

• Choosing to appoint the municipality’s chief administrative officer.
• Hiring certain municipal department heads and establishing and re-organizing departments.
• Creating committees of council, assigning their functions and appointing the chairs and vice-chairs of committees of council.
• Proposing the municipal budget, which would be subject to council amendments and a separate head of council veto and council override process.
• Proposing certain municipal by-laws if the mayor is of the opinion that the proposed by-law could potentially advance a provincial priority identified in regulation. Council can pass these by-laws if more than one-third of all council members vote in favour.
• Vetoing certain by-laws if the head of council is of the opinion that all or part of the by-law could potentially interfere with a provincial priority.
• Bringing forward matters for council consideration if the head of council is of the opinion that considering the matter could potentially advance a provincial priority.

Mayor Cleveland made this statement about Strong Mayor powers:

I am honoured to be given the trust by the province in these extra legislative powers. However, I know they are meant to be used judiciously, and I will consider enacting them only in circumstances that warrant it. (See his full statement on Town's web site here.)

Provincial announcement