Mayor or Reeve? That is the question

Woodlands County Council is looking into the possibility of changing the title of their Chief Elected Official from Mayor to Reeve. The backstory for Woodlands County started January 11, 1995, when a bylaw was passed to name the Chief Elected Official as a Reeve. That changed, however, in February 2007, when the Council of the day decided to change the title to Mayor. The Council felt there was confusion between the two titles and that Reeve wasn’t associated with the same functions as Mayor. Their idea was to follow suit with Parkland County, Strathcona County, Sturgeon County, and Red Deer County, who had changed their title to Mayor.

During the February 2, 2022 meeting, Councillor Dave Kusch said the change back to Reeve would “get us in line with a lot of the other rural municipalities and distinguishing us from urbans.” Councillor Jeremy Wilhelm said he understood the reasoning because it did make sense to differentiate themselves from urban municipalities, but he also had reservations.

“We see the rural municipalities of Parkland County, Strathcona, Sturgeon and Red Deer, some of the biggest players in Alberta for rural municipalities with their Chief Elected Officials being called Mayors, and then we want to change ourselves back to Reeve. I’m not saying I’m for or against it, but do we not count ourselves at the same level as those big players in the rural municipality game? We’re trying to differentiate ourselves again from them as well. I believe that’s why they changed their title to Mayor because they wanted to be seen at the same level as urban municipalities. I’m not sure where I’m at with this. I understand why this was driven forward, and I kind of agree with it as well, but I don’t know if we want to rush into this.”

Councillor Wilhelm also wondered if there were financial implications to the change. CAO Gordon Frank said they would be minimal. “There would be some minor changes. Business cards, for one, would be one that comes to mind. Our letterhead is generic. We don’t have the Office of the Mayor printed letterhead. We use a template that we run through the printer, so that’s not a cost associated with it. Nothing comes to mind other than the business cards.”

Councillor Wilhelm said that he wanted Mayor John Burrows part of the conversation. Mayor Burrows was in another meeting that overlapped the Council meeting but joined the group a short time later. “I would like him to be part of that conversation as well. We’re trying to pass a motion to change a bylaw, and he’s one of the people that really wants this to happen. So, he should be here as part of that conversation. I think it takes more conversation because we are changing that title and again, differentiating ourselves away from Parkland, Strathcona, Sturgeon and Red Deer. Is that the smartest idea?”

Councillor Peter Kuelken said he respected his colleague’s thought process. “The question I think that we should be answering to ourselves is that there are, I believe, 60-some municipalities of which four have made that choice, and they are the bigger municipalities. I think it’s really important. Given the circumstances of what we are facing all the time, we are absolutely in the eyes of the government and in the eyes of the urban municipalities that we are rural, and our rural roots go far deeper than what people know about. The reason that I would support this is because it seems to be a critical issue when we try to discuss what rural issues are and what urban issues are. The title of Reeve would, at any table, reinforce that those rural issues are being brought to the table. That’s my view,” explained Councillor Kuelken.

Councillor Bruce Prestidge reminded Council that they were only seeking the information at that moment. “All we’re asking is Administration to do is prepare an amendment. We’re not voting on it today. All we are doing is giving direction for Administration to bring it to us for the next meeting.” Councillor Wilhelm then asked about the number of municipalities that had changed their Chief Elected Official’s title. “You said it was only four, but is it only four municipalities that have changed to Mayor or were those just examples that have changed to Mayor? It does raise a question for me. I’m kind of on the fence about it.”

Mr. Frank said that there were probably more than four, but those were the four they had pulled forward as examples. “If the motion is passed, when we bring it back, we can indicate out of the 64 (municipalities), how many are Reeves and how many are Mayors,” said Mr. Frank. Council voted unanimously on the motion and will decide if they want to go forward with the title change at an upcoming meeting.