New Westminster City Council
New Westminster City Council is the governing body of New Westminster, British Columbia. The council consists of the mayor of New Westminster, and six councillors elected to serve a four-year term. The council was the first municipal government to be established in mainland British Columbia in 1860 by the Municipal Council Act. From 1860 to 1872, the council's presiding officer, known as the president of New Westminster, was internally elected by the sitting councillors. This changed in 1973 when the provincial government mandated that the council would be led by a separately elected mayor. The current mayor is Patrick Johnstone, a member of the Community First New West political party. City council meetings are held in New Westminster City Hall, and are usually scheduled on Monday evenings. The most recent election was on October 15, 2022.