Candidate Information

Who can be a candidate for City Council?

• reside in the municipality or, the owner or tenant of land in the municipality or the spouse of such person;
• be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old;
• not legally prohibited from voting; and
• not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office. 

Employees of the City of St. Catharines who wish to run for City Councillor must take an unpaid leave of absence before filing a nomination paper. Documentation proving the leave of absence is required.

In municipal elections in Ontario, candidates are not elected as members of a political party.

In St. Catharines, City Councilors are elected to represent a ward. For details on City of St. Catharines wards, visit our ward map. 

Who cannot be a candidate for City Council?

The following people are disqualified from being elected as a member of council, or from holding office as a member of council:

• a judge of any court;
• a member of the Provincial Legislature, the Federal House of Commons or Senate who has not resigned from their office by the close of nominations (proof of resignation must be provided by the close of nominations or the Clerk will not certify the nomination);
• a candidate who failed to file the necessary financial statement or exceeded the prescribed spending limit in the last municipal election or by-election.

Filing a Nomination

To file a nomination, you must provide:

• nomination paper (Form 1);
• declaration of qualifications;
• at least 25 declarations of endorsement (Form 2); 
• current acceptable identification showing name, qualifying address and signature; and
• the nomination filing fee paid by cash, credit or debit card, certified cheque or money order, payable to City of St. Catharines. The filing fee is $100 for candidates running for Councillor. Nomination fees are refunded to candidates once they file their required financial statement.

A person cannot raise or spend money on an election campaign until they have filed the nomination paper.

A nomination paper must be filed in person by either the candidate or an agent of the candidate.

The candidate’s declaration of qualification must be taken before a Commissioner of Oaths. Staff of the Office of the City Clerk can administer this oath. If an agent is filing the nomination paper on behalf of a candidate, the candidate’s declaration of qualification must be commissioned by any commissioner of oaths, prior to the agent filing the paper. Candidates are required to show proof of identity and qualifying address within the City of St. Catharines at the time of filing.

Under the Municipal Elections Act, the City Clerk is required to reject or certify the nominations of candidates on or before 4 p.m. on March 3, 2025. A candidate who wishes to withdraw their nomination, must notify the Clerk in writing by 2 p.m. on Feb. 28, 2025. The withdrawal may not be faxed or scanned. The candidate must submit a financial statement including all financial transactions up to the time of the withdrawal.

Find all forms on our Election Resources and Forms page.

Nomination Endorsements

Anyone running for City Council must submit the signatures from 25 voters endorsing the nomination. Each individual providing a signature must sign a declaration stating that they are eligible to vote in the municipality on the day that they signed the endorsement.

Additional information

Learn more about the duties and responsibilities of elected officials and the resources available to them.

City Council meeting schedule

City Council meetings are held bi-weekly on Mondays at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers, unless otherwise announced.  

Advisory Committees of Council

There are approximately 12 other internal and external committees to which members of Council may be appointed. Committee meetings are held at various times. As part of Council orientation, Council members will meet to decide which members will serve on the committees of their choice.

Salary for City Councillors 

The salaries for City Councillors and Mayor are:

• City Councillor (2022): $25,368.50 per annum

Rates are subject to change.

Additional stipends may be applicable for appointments to other boards or committees.