Interested in Running for Council?

The RM has seven elected positions: one mayor which represents the entire Municipality and six councillors - one for each ward.

To qualify as a mayor or a councillor, you must be:

• A Canadian citizen
• At least 18 years of age on Election Day
• A voter in the municipality (you are a resident or own property for six months prior to the date of the election, April 26, 2022, and are on the voters list)

You may want to be mayor or a councillor if:

• You care about your community
• You want to make your community better
• You want to serve and give back
• You want to make a difference
• You want to help set direction for the community

It is important to remember that as a council member, you are in a public position and therefore are to subject to public scrutiny.

View ward map here.

Articles of Interest

Six Awesome Reasons to Run for Municipal Office

Five Reasons Not to Run for Council

The Dysfunctional Council

• Effective Locally Elected Officials
• What is a Local Government?
• Testing your Readiness for Local Office
• Local Government Decision Making
• Roles and Responsibilities of a Locally Elected Official

Candidate Resources

Candidate guidebook

The 2022 Candidates Guidebook is your source for everything you need to know as a candidate. It is designed to assist anyone who is interested in seeking election or re-election to municipal office. It provides an overview of the election process in Manitoba, and outlines the steps you need to take to run as a candidate in a municipal election.   

The information in this Guidebook is general and has been prepared as a reference for municipal candidates. Candidates are responsible to know the rules and comply with the legislation.  Candidates should refer to The Municipal Act and The Municipal Councils and School Boards Election Act for specific legislative requirements. You may obtain a copy of the legislation from the MB Gov website.

AMM Municipal Elections Resource Hub

The AMM has developed this information page with helpful resources and information for both new and returning municipal candidates.

Key dates at a glance

Key Contacts

Senior Election Official – the election in the RM is handled by a Senior Election Official or SEO, with assistance from office staff. Our SEO is Margaret Davidson.

She can be reached by email at info@rmofstandrews.com, by calling the municipal office at 204-738-2264 or by cell phone at 204-785-0174.   

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the responsibilities of council?

Organizational By-Law No. 4337 establishes the organizational structure of the Municipality.  Council sets direction for the municipality. Council develops and approves by-laws and policies that help in the decision-making process in a consistent and transparent manner. Duties also include being present at hearings for various initiatives, such as the annual financial plan hearing, and to make decisions on subdivision and variation applications.

Administratively, the Chief Administrative Officer is the main contact with council members.

What are the time demands to be a mayor or a councillor?

As a member of council, you will serve a four-year term to 2026. Your term officially begins at noon on October 27, 2022.

Meetings of council are set out in Procedural By-Law No. 4338

Each council member is expected to attend two formal council meetings and one committee of the whole each month. In July and August, council has only one council meeting per month. Currently meetings last between 2 and 3 hours and have been scheduled as follows;

• Council meetings, Regular – Second and Fourth Tuesday of the month at 5:00 p.m.
• Committee of the Whole meetings – Third Monday of the month at 5:00 p.m.

Council members are expected to prepare for the meetings by reading the agenda package and reports prior to the meeting. This can take between 2 to 4 hours per council meeting.

Please note that the council meeting schedule is set by municipal by-law, and a new council is able to change the meeting dates and times to accommodate new council members if needed.

• Committee meetings

Each council member is typically appointed to 3 or more committees that have RM representation. These committees may meet monthly or quarterly or on an as needed basis. These meetings are often in the evenings Monday through Thursday.

• Other time commitments

Council members often feel obligated to support community events such as parades, Christmas parties, and staff/volunteer recognition events as well. Speaking with the public is an important responsibility of council members. Council members will likely receive some phone calls and direct emails, but are just as likely to be approached at the grocery store or a sporting event.

The demands on the time of a council member ebbs and flows throughout the year and throughout the four-year term. Orientation, monthly committee of the whole, long term planning, public hearings and budget meetings are all examples of an additional time commitment. Council members claim compensation for these meetings.

Conferences and training workshops play an important role in training new council members and developing a network of contacts to help council discover the various "best practices” used by other municipalities in Manitoba. Council members claim compensation for these meetings.

How much time does that add up to on a monthly basis?

Excluding conferences, which are optional, meetings of council and committees and conversations with citizens have historically taken between 20 to 30 hours a month. A typical council member attends between 7 and 20 days away annually for conferences. All attendance at conferences must be approved by resolution of council.

Do I get paid to be mayor or a councillor?

• Monthly compensation is $1,759.64 for a Council member, $1,906.26 for the Deputy Mayor and $2,313.05 for the Mayor. Committee and conference work is compensated at a rate of $26.97 per hour. These rates are outlined in By-Law No. 4316 to establish the indemnities and expenses for Council.

What are the pressing issues for the municipality at this time?

Good decisions are most likely to occur when good information is provided and understood by Council members. Each term, a number of key reports and studies are completed to aid the Council in setting the direction of the Municipality. Developed reports helped set the direction of the municipality and form part of the strategic plan.

The Red River Planning Development Plan provides an excellent starting point to understanding the long term goals of the Municipality.

The recent Selkirk and District Foundation report, Vital Signs Mind the Gap Report, is a high level look at some of the challenges a new Council may seek to address.

Following provincial requirements and to ensure fair and equal opportunities for all candidates, By-Law No. 4371 - "Use of Municipal Resources in an Election" has been enacted. 

Voting

Voting locations and information can be found on our voting page.