Election 2026

Who Should Decide Delegation Requests? What 2026 Slates Have Said

DCC Now · September 3, 2026 · updated September 3, 2026

On the record. Bylaw 8330 says the Mayor approves a resident’s request to speak at Council. DCC Now asked every 2026 slate the same five questions. Replies are printed in full. A written decision not to take part is printed too.

What the bylaw actually says

13.4 — “An external organization wishing to appear before Council to discuss a specific topic must send a written request to the City Clerk. All such requests are subject to prior approval of the Mayor.”

Plain meaning: the written request goes to the Clerk. The Mayor approves it.

13.10 — “Delegations wishing to address Council may do so during: (1) A Regular Council Meeting, at which the delegation has been scheduled to appear, as approved by the Mayor. (2) A Regular Council Meeting in which Council has resolved to meet as Committee of the Whole and at which the delegation has been scheduled to appear, as approved by the Mayor.”

Plain meaning: a resident may appear at a Regular Meeting when the Mayor has approved the appearance. The Clerk then sets the date.

Those clauses do not name the Corporate Officer, the City Manager, or external counsel as the approving authority.

Full bylaw: Council Procedure Bylaw No. 8330

In 2025–2026, written denials were issued by the City’s external counsel, by a Deputy Corporate Officer, and by Legislative Services. Those letters did not name a bylaw section or confirm that the Mayor had reviewed the request.

The City record is here: 15 Questions, No Answers. That file involves DCC Now’s editor as the requester. Readers should weigh that. The questions below went to every slate.

The five questions

  1. Bylaw 8330, as written above, identifies the Mayor as the approving authority. What role — if any — do City staff or external counsel play in that approval?
  2. Are you aware of requests being denied by staff or external counsel rather than by the Mayor? If so, what is the legal basis?
  3. Does Council receive reporting on requests that are denied before they reach Council, or only on those that are approved?
  4. Should denied requests, and the reasons, be a public record?
  5. What would you change so residents can see how the process actually works?

Achieving For Delta

AFD Campaign Management wrote on August 31, 2026:

Good Morning Sarbjot,

Thank you for the opportunity. On behalf of the candidates, they appreciate the outreach but have chosen to respectfully excuse themselves from participating at this time.

Thank you,
AFD Campaign Management

Printed as received.

One Delta

Taylor Grant sent this statement:

A core principle of One Delta is ensuring people’s voices are genuinely heard at City Hall.

That’s why we’re committed to restoring citizen‑led advisory committees, giving residents meaningful input into the decisions shaping Delta today and into the future.

Across British Columbia, delegation requests are typically reviewed and approved by the Corporate Officer, the staff member responsible for administering council meetings and applying procedure bylaws consistently. Aligning Delta’s process with this standard recognizes the professionalism and expertise of City staff, who ensure all requests are handled fairly, transparently and without political influence.

Our commitment is simple: take the politics out of the process. Delegations wishing to appear before council will be received and approved by the Corporate Officer—ensuring a clear, impartial and accessible path for residents to bring their voices forward.

That is a proposal to change who decides. It is not how Bylaw 8330 is written today.

There is no province-wide rule that the Corporate Officer approves who may speak to Council. Procedure bylaws differ from city to city. Some name the Mayor. Delta’s Bylaw 8330 names the Mayor. Changing that rule here would take a bylaw amendment by Council.

On August 29, 2026, DCC Now asked two follow-up questions:

  1. Under the current bylaw, should a request be approved or refused by the Mayor, or by staff / external counsel?
  2. If the Corporate Officer is to decide, will refused requests and the written reasons be a public record, and will Council see that list?

Any further written reply will be added here in full.

Delta First

Melissa Granum wrote on August 21, 2026:

Hello Mr. Locham,

I get the sense that you are frustrated with the delegation request process. We are not currently involved in city council so we cannot answer your questions. I'd be happy to discuss your experiences and how we can improve the process once elected.

Thank you
Melissa

Printed as received. The five questions were not answered. Any further written reply will be added here in full.

Other candidates

Independents and other candidates may still reply. Send statements to info@dccnow.com. They will be published unedited.

What voters can use

General Voting Day is Saturday, October 17, 2026.

  • Does the candidate accept that the bylaw, as written today, names the Mayor?
  • If they want a different decision-maker, will denials and reasons be public?
  • Did they answer the five questions in writing?

Related: 15 Questions, No Answers · What is a delegation request?

DCC Now does not score, rank, or endorse slates. New written replies will be added to this page.

Sarbjot Singh Locham
Resident & Editor
DCC Now – Delta Community Concerns
info@dccnow.com · dccnow.com Independent Community Reporting • Public Records • Transparency • Accountability
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