Similar to previous years, city hall will not use its membership interest to elect any members to the museum and art gallery’s board during the organization’s March 30 annual meeting.
City council confirmed during its March 27 regular meeting that the City of Moose Jaw would not nominate or elect anyone to the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery’s (MJMAG) board for the upcoming year.
Municipalities have the authority to incorporate companies for several purposes, including the operation of cultural venues like art galleries and museums, a council report explained. Council incorporated MJMAG in 1995 by passing a bylaw, which established the organization and its funding structure.
Once it established the corporation, the city signed an agreement with the MJMAG on March 28, 1995 that defined the parties’ roles, responsibilities and relationship. Article 19 of the agreement included provisions about how the corporation’s membership and directors can be selected.
“Article 19 (a) states that the city has the discretionary authority to appoint a majority of the board of directors of the corporation,” the report said.
Article 19(b) says all directors shall be elected from within the corporation’s membership, while article 19(c) says one council member may be appointed to sit on the board; Coun. Doug Blanc is the current council representative.
Meanwhile, article 19(d) says if the city wishes to have a voting rep at the annual general meeting — to cast votes for board candidates — that representative cannot be the board’s council member.
“Previous councils have declined (their) membership interest to elect a majority of the board of directors,” the report added. “Apart from city council’s representative on the board, the members of the corporation have been allowed to select their own board of directors at the annual general meeting.”
The next regular council meeting is Monday, April 10.
