Owen Sound Council Rejects Major Committee Overhaul, Approves Term Changes After Two-Hour Debate

Owen Sound Council voted against a sweeping committee restructure, approving term changes and creating a new Governance and Finance Committee instead.

Feb 26, 2026

Owen Sound City Hall, photo credit: Owen Sound Current

After nearly two hours of debate in their meeting this week, Owen Sound Council decided against a major restructuring of its committee system, instead approving more limited changes to committee appointments and terms.

The discussion over approximately one hour and 56 minutes focused on whether the City’s committee structure should be reorganized to better reflect Vision 2050, Owen Sound’s long-term strategic plan.

What Changed

Council voted to keep most of its existing committees in place. Community Services Committee, Operations Committee, and the Tom Thomson Art Gallery Committee will continue.

However, the Corporate Services Committee will not remain in its current form. Council directed staff to prepare terms of reference for a new Governance and Finance Committee made up only of councillors. That committee will assume responsibilities currently handled by Corporate Services and Service Review.

The detailed structure and terms of reference will return to Council in spring 2026 for formal approval.

Council also approved several changes to appointment terms, which will take effect in 2027:

Councillors will serve two-year terms on committees instead of one-year terms.
Public members will serve two-year terms instead of three-year terms.
Council appointments to Grey Sauble Conservation Authority will change from four years to two years.
Council appointments to the Owen Sound Police Service Board will change from four years to two years.
Council appointments to the Owen Sound Housing Company will increase from one year to two years.
Council appointments to community organizations will increase from one year to two years.

In addition, Council amended its procedure bylaw to limit public members to eight consecutive years of service on a committee.

After eight years, an individual must step away for at least two years before reapplying.

What Didn’t Change

Council did not approve broader structural reforms that had been presented by staff. Options discussed included reorganizing committees around Vision 2050 priorities or consolidating committees to reduce overlap.

Several councillors expressed concern about reducing public member involvement, particularly in governance and finance matters. Others raised questions about whether restructuring would meaningfully reduce staff workload or improve efficiency.

The committee review was initiated in late 2024 to determine whether Owen Sound’s committee structure, largely unchanged since 2015, continues to support the City’s strategic priorities.

Staff cited departmental silos, senior staff attendance at multiple evening meetings, fluctuating public member recruitment, and the adoption of Vision 2050 as reasons for the review.