District of Sooke

Our Local Government

Local government in British Columbia can mean either municipalities or regional districts. Under the Canadian Constitution, the Province of British Columbia may establish a municipality through incorporation. The District of Sooke became a municipality upon its incorporation by Letters Patent in December, 1999. The District of Sooke has since had three boundary expansions to include Silver Spray properties, some eastern Sooke properties and some northern Sooke properties.

Provincial legislation also sets out the legal framework for local governments under the Local Government Act and the Community Charter. These Acts provide the District of Sooke with the authority necessary for fulfillingthepurposes and with the flexibility to respond to the different needs and changing circumstance ofour community

Local government is your most accessible and responsive level of government. The District of Sooke council is comprised of seven local citizens elected by the community. Together with citizen volunteer and advisory committees or commissions, the Council works to shape the community and to provideand maintain the community's basic essential services.

Municipal Councils are responsible for setting policy and in turn, direct municipal staff to carry out those policies. In most municipal offices, staff are organized into departments with different responsibilities.

The Community Charter requires that each municipality appoint a Chief Administrative Officer, a Corporate Officer and a Financial Officer. In addition, the District of Sooke has appointed a Director of Planning, Approving Officer, Director of Engineering, Building Official and Bylaw Enforcement Officer.

Community Charter: Municipalities and their councils

6 (1)A municipality is a corporation of the residents of its area.

(2)The governing body of a municipality is its council.

(3)New municipalities may be established, and the boundaries of existing municipalities may be altered, in accordance with Part 2 [Incorporation] of the Local Government Act.

Municipal purposes

7 The purposes of a municipality include

(a)providing for good government of its community,

(b)providing for services, laws and other matters for community benefit,

(c)providing for stewardship of the public assets of its community, and

(d)fostering the economic, social and environmental well-being of its community.

The Ministry of Community Development is the direct body responsible for local government in British Columbia. For more information, please see the Ministry website.