P.E.I. planning 'big orientation' for new mayors, councillors after fall municipal election

The Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities is teaming up with the provincial government on plans to deliver a thorough, full-day orientation for new councillors and mayors after the fall municipal election.

Satya Sen, the executive director of the federation, says there should be "comprehensive" orientation programs for first-time mayors and councillors.

Sen said an in-person orientation, provided by the federation and P.E.I. government together, would be beneficial to new officials and help lift up smaller municipalities who may not have the time or money to carry out their own training.

"We are planning around end of November to have a big orientation here in Charlottetown, where we would get all the elected councillors and mayors to come join us for a session on municipal governance," he said.

"We're trying to get some experts from outside the province to come and talk to them about municipal governance and how councils should conduct themselves while executing their duties as councillors."

How exactly that orientation would look is being worked out, but Sen said the goal would be to cover a range of topics like what is expected of councillors, what they have the power to do (and not do) and much more.

Nick Cameron has been on Summerside council for three years and said he had great training from city staff.

But not every municipality has the resources to get new officials trained up quickly. He said more thorough training from the province would be great at helping all new mayors and councillors.

"Why not right? If we can eliminate any confusion, that creates a workplace that everyone can harmoniously evolve and work together," he said.

"I'd be very supportive if the province had a more mandatory training that came from it."

What would be beneficial for the orientation this fall, he said, is a deeper breakdown of the Municipal Government Act.

"That clearly defines, you know, what our direct roles and responsibilities are and what we are able to do and what we're not able to do as well," Cameron said.

"I think that's important to understand fully that we should be doing and should not be doing."

Right now, government has some lessons available, which introduce people to how councils work, but they aren't mandatory.