WINNIPEG, MB - The Standing Policy Committee on Finance, chaired by Deputy Mayor Russ Wyatt, will consider a motion calling upon the Public Service to review municipal best practices related to delegated authority as a means of ensuring City of Winnipeg practices are up to date.
According to Council's Materials Management Policy, the Public Service has the authority to make certain contract awards without approval from Council. The Public Service is able to do this through what's known as delegated authority.
"A comprehensive review of delegated authority has not been completed for some time," said Deputy Mayor Wyatt. "As we have delegated authority in a number of different instances with a number of different financial ceilings, it only makes sense to find out if our practices are aligned with other jurisdictions."
"Municipal administrative staff always have some level of delegated authority," said Councillor Paula Havixbeck, the mover of the motion calling for the review. "The purpose of this review is to determine if the parameters set by the City of Winnipeg on delegated authority are similar to what other municipalities have set."
The motion instructs the Public Service to report back with the results of a cross-jurisdictional review in 120 days, along with any proposed recommendations to amend current practices. It will be considered at Monday's meeting of the Standing Policy Committee on Finance.