Regional Council is the main decision-making body for the Halifax Regional Municipality. The members are the Mayor and the 16 Councillors. Councillors also sit on boards, committees and commissions, standing committees and community councils.
Since April 2, 2020, the municipality has held 342 virtual Regional Council, public hearing, community council, standing committee, advisory board and committee meetings to comply with the advice and directives from the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Standing Committee meetings were held in person in the Fall of 2020 but reverted to virtual meetings as required by public health orders.
To date, in-person meetings have not been possible due to public health restrictions which reduced the occupancy of Council Chamber and required social distancing. Given the number of members of Regional Council and municipal staff required to support the meetings, virtual meetings were required.
The municipality, in anticipation of the province’s initial Phase 5 date, planned to return to in-person Regional Council meetings on September 28; however, due to the delay of Phase 5, in-person Regional Council meetings will resume on October 19. Council Chamber technology does not currently support the ability to participate virtually. The Mayor and Councillors, municipal staff and the public must attend in-person to participate and will be required to wear masks. Meetings will continue to be broadcast on the municipality’s YouTube channel.
Learn about public health requirements for attending in-person meetings
Upgrades to Council Chamber technology are being explored to allow for the public to participate in Public Hearings virtually.
The municipality is determining how it will proceed with other meeting types and will share more information when details have been finalized.