About the Commission
The Commission
The Village of Chester Commission is comprised of five Village residents who are elected by their fellow villagers to serve a 3-year term. The terms are staggered, which means there is an election every year.
The Village Commission is subject to the Municipal Government Act as well as its own by-laws and policies.
Our Mandate
The Commission of the Village of Chester (VOC) is responsible for a number of services and activities within the Village and beyond.
Most prominently, the VOC has a partnership agreement with the Municipality of the District of Chester (MODC) to provide fire and emergency services throughout the Village via the Chester Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD). The CVFD's service area also provides these services to portions of the Municipality adjacent to the Village: all of Municipal District 7, portions of District 1, and all of District 3 beyond the Village proper. Fire tax rates are levied on all properties in the CVFD fire service area ensuring equal contribution to funding the services. The CVFD is governed by the Chester Fire Services Committee, a joint body of the VOC and MODC to provide modern, efficient, and effective fire and emergency services upon which all the residents, businesses, and organizations in the Chester Fire District can depend.
The Village owns and operates the Lido Pool and the Public Washroom building free of charge for the benefit of all users, residents and visitors alike. The Village owns the Jib Lot, between Victoria Street and the Prince Street Extension, and maintains it as an open space for Village residents and visitors. The Village also owns the Emergency Health Services building, next to the fire station. All costs for the property and building are covered by the rent EHS pays to the VOC. The Village Commission is also responsible for all street lighting in the Village, crossing guards, extra summer green bin collection, pest control, economic development through community grants and tourism projects, and annual beautification efforts, namely the hanging flower baskets in the summer, groundskeeping, and wreaths in the fall and winter. A new addition is a Commission of Oaths service.
Meetings
The Commission meets at 6:00 pm on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at the Village Office: 27 Pleasant Street and over livestream. Please come and share your thoughts with us! Any additional meetings are posted in advance on our website and social media. Agendas and minutes can be found here. Past meetings can be viewed on our YouTube channel.
The Commission also holds an Annual General/Public Meeting to receive reports, the Audited Financial Statement, and generally inform the ratepayers of the past year's activities. The date for this meeting is usually late May or early June but, under the Municipal Government Act, it must be held before July 1. The date is advertised each year in local newspapers and posted on our website and social media.
Commissioners
The following are your representatives on the Commission:
Geraldine Pauley, Chair:
Term expires: May 2027
Randall O'Malley, Vice-chair -
Term expires May 2025
Laura Mulrooney -
Term expires: May 2025
Tom Mulrooney -
Term expires: May 2027
Gloria Nauss -
Term expires May 2026
