Closed Council Meetings

Municipal Act Closed Meeting Rules

The Province has set the rules for a council, local board or a committee to go into a closed meeting. Any person or corporation may request that an investigation be undertaken respecting whether the closed meeting rules have been complied with in accordance with the current legislation.

Why are some meetings closed to the public?

Local government in Ontario must be transparent and accountable. The Province has set the rules for a council, local board or a committee to go into closed meeting. These rules are found in Section 239 of the Municipal Act 2001, as amended. The permitted reasons for going into a closed meeting are:

• the security of the property of the municipality or local board;
• personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees;
• a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board;
  labour relations or employee negotiations;
• litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board;
• advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose;
• a matter in respect of which a council, board, committee or other body may hold a closed meeting under another Act. 2001, c.25, s.239(2);
• a meeting shall be closed to the public if the subject matter relates to the consideration of a request under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act if the council, board, commission or other body is the head of an institution for the purposes of that Act. 2001, c.25, s.239(3);
• A meeting of a council or local board or of a committee of either of them may be closed to the public if the following conditions are both satisfied
  • The meeting is held for the purpose of educating or training the members.
  • At the meeting, no member discusses or otherwise deals with any matter in a way that materially advances the business or decision-making of the council, local board, or committee. 2006, c.32, Schedule. A, s.103(1)

You may request that an investigation be undertaken respecting whether a municipality or local board, or a committee of either, has complied with closed meeting rules outlined in the Municipal Act, 2001 or the applicable Procedural by-law.

Any complaints regarding closed meeting investigations are to be forwarded directly to the Ontario Ombudsman.