The RM has seven elected positions: one mayor and six councillors. There are three councillors in each ward.
This group is known as council. The mayor is chair of council and represents the entire RM.
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
Candidate resources
Candidate guidebook
The RM of St. Clements 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 hub with helpful resources and information for both new and returning municipal candidates.
Key dates at a glance
| Candidate Registration | Mayor - Between May 1, 2022 and September 20, 2022 Councillors - Between June 30, 2022 and September 20, 2022 |
| Nomination | September 14, 2022 to September 20, 2022 |
| Campaign Period | Mayor - May 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 Councillors - June 30, 2022 to March 31, 2023 |
| Withdrawal Deadline | September 21, 2022 |
| Election Day | October 26, 2022 |
| Filing of Election Finance Statements | No later than 210 days (May 24, 2023) after the election. |
Key contacts
Senior Election Official – the election in the RM is handled by a Senior Election Official or SEO, with assistance from office staff. Council has appointed Sue Sutherland as SEO. She can be reached by email at sue@rmofstclements.com.
Frequently asked questions
What are the responsibilities of council?
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. The senior staff team includes;
- Manager of Administration
- Public Works Manager
- Protective Services Manager
- Finance Officer
- Communication Officer
- Office Supervisor
- Economic Development Officer
- Recreation Director
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
Each council member is expected to attend two formal council meetings and typically one committee of the whole each month. In July and August, council has only one council meeting per month. Currently meetings last between 3 and 6 hours and have been scheduled as follows;
- Council meeting, Regular – Second Tuesday of the month at 9:30 am until approximately 2 pm
- Council meeting, Planning – Fourth Tuesday of the month, 2 pm until approximately 9 pm
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 of 21 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 for a Council member is $1,701.31 and $2,268.40 for the Mayor. Committee and conference work is compensated at a rate of $24.55 per hour. These rates are outlined in By-Law 16-2021 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 that was summarized in the RM of St. Clements Strategic Plan . The following list includes links to key documents currently available on the RM website.
- Long term planning
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.
- Environment
Drinking water, the health of our waterways, climate change, solid and liquid waste are all vital topics to consider when making every decision.
Key reports include:
- Quality of life
Many of the recreation services for the municipality are provided by non profit organizations scattered throughout the municipality. This includes the East Selkirk Rec Association, Libau Community Club, Patricia Beach Community Hall, Grand Marais Rec Centre and Grand Marais Community Central which all receive some funding from the municipality to assist with the building and program costs. We also provide funding to East St. Paul to assist with the provision of programs in the southern part of the municipality.
We are lucky to have four provincial parks in or adjacent to the RM, great sport fishing, Lake Winnipeg Beaches and the Trans Canada trail.
Key reports include:
Voting
Voting locations and information can be found on our voting page.