Committees, Boards & Working Groups

City Council uses a variety of committees, boards, and panels to inform decision-making. These groups help shape City policies, programs, and services.

Learn more about each type below — and find out how you can get involved.

Current Volunteer Opportunities

From time to time, the City invites residents to join advisory committees, working groups, or expert panels. If you’re interested in helping improve your capital city, check here for open calls:

• Call for Members - Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, October 2025

Audit Standing Committee

The Audit Standing Committee is a Council-appointed committee reporting directly to Council on finance, risk and regulatory compliance.

Advisory Committees

The City's advisory committees provide advice on specific subject areas. One member of council sits on each of these advisory committees in a champion/liaison role and the remaining members are appointed from the community following an open recruitment and selection process undertaken by the City Clerk. Check out each advisory committee:

• Arts and Culture Advisory Committee
• Healthy City Advisory Committee
• Inclusion Advisory Committee
• Seniors' Advisory Committee
• St. John’s Local Immigration Partnership Council
• Sustainable and Active Mobility Advisory Committee

From time to time, Council will announce opportunities to be a member of one of our advisory committees. If you have the interest and skills required, consider joining an advisory committee and helping improve your capital city.

Building Safer Communities Steering Committee

The Building Safer Communities Steering Committee is solutions-oriented and provides information and recommendation to the City of St. John’s on the best ways of addressing the social determinants of crime and violence.

Working Groups

Working Groups provide citizen or organization expertise or oversight on the development or delivery of programs and projects. Working groups assist in the delivery of an approved plan or strategy and meetings are chaired by staff. Our current working groups include:

• Anti-Racism Working Group
• Affordable Housing Working Group
• Youth Engagement Working Group

From time to time, Council will announce opportunities to be a member of one of our working groups. If you have the interest and skills required, consider joining a working group and helping improve your capital city.

Experts Panels

Expert Panels provide expert opinion on topics or issues within a defined mandate. Expert Panels may or may not have a defined timeline. They report to the Committee of the Whole and are chaired by an expert from the community. Review our expert panels:

• Built Heritage Experts Panel
• Environment and Sustainability Experts Panel

From time to time, Council will announce opportunities to be a member of one of our expert's panels. If you have the interest and skills required, consider joining an expert's panels and helping improve your capital city.

Regional Boards

The City of St. John's has representation on the following regional boards:

• Eastern Regional Service Board - The Eastern Regional Service Board works together with communities to bring residents and commercial users across the Eastern Region in Newfoundland the services they need to participate in responsible waste management and contribute to protecting our environment.
• Regional Fire Services Committee - St. John's Regional Fire Department (SJRFD) provides the region with an acceptable level of fire and emergency protection in the most economical manner, with backup emergency services being provided to a number of surrounding towns in the Northeast Avalon Region. The Regional Fire Services Committee consists of members from the City of St. John's, City of Mt. Pearl and Town of Paradise.
• Regional Wastewater Committee - The Regional Wastewater Committee is a model of regional cooperation providing wastewater transmission and treatment services to three municipalities in the St. John's metro region: City of St. John's, City of Mt. Pearl and the Town of Paradise. Its mission is to provide safe, reliable, cost-efficient and environmentally responsible wastewater transmission.
• Regional Water Services Committee - The Regional Water Services Committee oversees the water services for the region of St. John's, Mount Pearl, Paradise, Portugal Cove - St. Philip's and Conception Bay South.  There is a technical sub-committee of the Regional Water Services Committee, which also includes Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador.

For more information contact cityclerk@stjohns.ca

Partner Organizations and City-Affiliated Boards

Advantage St. John's

Formed through a partnership of the municipalities of Conception Bay South, Paradise and St. John’s, Advantage St. John’s offers resources, programs and guidance for businesses to thrive in the Capital Region. The organization maintains the Region’s value proposition, sharing it broadly with key stakeholders locally and abroad working with all local partners to develop and execute the regional economic development strategy.

The Mayor sits on the Board of Directors. 

St. John's Transportation Commission (Metrobus)

The St. John’s Transportation Commission is responsible for the general oversight and governance of Metrobus. The Commission is committed to providing enhanced customer service and an efficient transportation system for the residents of the cities of St. John's, Mount Pearl and Paradise. 

Two representatives from City Council sit on the commission. The Chair of the Commission is James Greey.

For meeting minutes, visit the Metrobus Website. To contact the St. John's Transportation Commission, please email commission@metrobus.com.

St. John's Sports and Entertainment Limited

The City of St. John's subsidizes the operation of the Mary Brown's Centre and the St. John's Convention Centre. Both state-of-the-art facilities contribute significantly to the economy of the City of St. John's.

This is an independent board. One Council member and one member of senior staff sit on the board as ex offcio/non-voting members.

Outside Boards or Committees with Council Affiliation

The following boards have Council affiliation with the City of St. John's:

• Bowring Park Foundation
• C.A. Pippy Park Commission
• Canadian Capital Cities Organization
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities Board of Directors
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities Big City Mayor's Caucus
• Goulds Recreation Association
• Grand Concourse Authority
• Joint Committee of Council & Downtown St. John's
• Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador
• NL Library Board
• NL Sports Centre Board
• Northeast Avalon Joint Council
• Quidi Vidi Rennies River Development Foundation
• Shea Heights Community Centre
• St. John’s Food Policy Council
• Stewardship Association of Municipalities
• Urban Municipalities Caucus, MNL
• Victoria Park Foundation

Contact us

For information on retired committees, or to access information not available here, please contact cityclerk@stjohns.ca.