Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Bill 25 would have allowed municipal employees, other than managers, bylaw officers, or finance staff, to sit on council. The current Local Authorities Elections Act does not allow permanent full-time municipal employees to also be council members under any circumstances. Members and witnesses had a number of concerns about the conflicts that could happen in practice. Mayor Evelyn Storr of Aklavik gave the example of a clerk who receives payments for water bills on behalf of the hamlet, and who is also a councillor. As Mayor Storr said, "it all goes back to what the public sees and how the public looks at that...How could that person who receives cash from people for seven-and-a-half hours a day...the first person you see when you go into the office, sit on council and make decisions regarding the water rates?"

The committee eventually heard from the Association of Communities that all their members now agree no exceptions should be made to allow municipal employees to sit on council. During the clause-by-clause review, the committee passed and the Minister concurred with four motions which removed the provisions in the bill that would have allowed some permanent full-time municipal employees to sit on council.