Mississauga.ca/localgov

By-law noun

1 - a rule that an organization (such as a club or company ) makes and that its members must follow

2 – a law or regulation that is made by a local government and applies only to the local area

1 - A need comes to the attention of a City Councillor

This can happen in one of several ways:

– A resident or business owner raises a concern with their Councillor

– A Councillor identifies a need within their Ward

– City staff, other levels of government or consulting experts can also identify issues of concern which may be addressed by the creation of a by-law

2 – The issue is brought to council

3 – The issue is discussed and debated by members of council

4 – A by-law is drafted that addresses the issue at hand

5 – Council then debates the draft by-law and changes to it can be made

6 – Council votes on the draft by-law. If passed, the by law becomes one of many by-laws that are in force in the City of Mississauga.

Other important facts about by-laws:

• By-laws are not the only way the City manages issues

• Sometimes it is more appropriate to amend an existing by-law rather than creating a new one

• Not every issue brought forward will result in the creation of a by-law

• Most of our existing by-laws have been around for a long timeMississauga.ca/localgov