Update: This motion passed unanimously on Feb. 25, 2026. A Vancouver councillor wants in-person attendance at meetings to be the “default expectation” for elected officials, arguing it would be consistent with the requirement for city staff to routinely work in office. OneCity Coun. Lucy Maloney is tabling a motion titled “Walking the Talk: Aligning City Staff’s and Council’s Remote Work Policy” at next Wednesday’s meeting. The motion notes the city manager issued a “directive” late last year curtailing hybrid and remote work and requiring “regular in-office attendance.” Maloney also points out the return-to-office mandate does not apply to elected officials. “Council has the ability to update its own governing rules to eliminate double standards and align its working conditions to current expectations for City of Vancouver staff,” the motion reads. Maloney’s motion also explains the city began offering a flexible work program in 2021, and a survey of staff several years later found an overwhelming majority considered the option to work remotely a factor in their choice to start or continue working for the city. If passed, the motion would set the standard of in-person attendance for the mayor and city councillors at all meetings, including public hearings. Exceptions for remote attendance would be available, on the same terms as for staff—including illness, attending to approved city business elsewhere, and providing child care. The motion asks council to “affirm this policy as an expression of leadership by example and a commitment to accountability, fairness and public confidence in local governance.” It also asks staff to report back on what bylaws, policies or procedures are needed to “formalize” the expectation and outline “permissible exemptions.”
