Adding safeguards to the call-the-vote procedure
General Committee makes recommendations; City Council makes the final decision.
This motion was defeated at General Committee, so it was not among the committee’s recommendations to Council.
Councillor Votes
Full Resolution Text
WHEREAS Section 21 of the City of Peterborough’s Procedural By-law permits a motion to “call the vote,” which, if carried, ends all debate and forces an immediate vote on the matter under discussion; AND WHEREAS the current provisions do not require a supermajority to pass, nor do they guarantee that all Members of Council have had the opportunity to speak; AND WHEREAS misuse of this motion can suppress fair and democratic debate, and similar procedural by-laws in other Ontario municipalities have added safeguards to ensure its fair use; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the following amendments to Section 21 – Call the Vote of the City of Peterborough’s Procedural By-law be adopted and take effect immediately: Amendments to Section 21 – Call the Vote 1. Opportunity to Speak A motion to “call the vote” shall not be in order until all Members of Council who wish to speak to the motion have had the opportunity to do so once. 2. Two-Thirds Majority Required A motion to “call the vote” shall require a two-thirds majority of Members present and voting in order to pass. 3. Restriction During Amendments A motion to “call the vote” shall not be in order while an amendment to the main motion is under discussion, except for the purpose of calling the vote on the amendment itself. 4. Non-Debatable A motion to “call the vote” shall not be debatable or amendable.