Under the terms of Ontario's Municipal Act, 2001, the entire city council is elected every four years.

The council's function is to support the municipality, its programs and services, while ensuring that the public's interest is being represented and upheld.

[7] Councillors act as representatives of their wards at council meetings, on city committees and with the public.

[8] Two councillors are elected from each of the city's five geographically defined wards using a single non-transferable vote.

Marie had been a township governed by council that included a mayor and six councillors elected at-large.

Marie left most things as they had been under the previous town, such as boundaries, by-laws, regulations, contracts, and employees.

Following the practice of similar-sized cities, council voted to provide each alderman an honorarium of $5 per meeting they attended, capped at $120 a year.

Moving the vote earlier in the calendar prevented elections happening too close to the holiday period, avoided winter storms that could effect turn-out, and conformed with the practices of most other Ontario municipalities.

Following a provincial order, on January 1, 1965 the townships of Korah and Tarentorus were amalgamated into Sault Ste.

In June 1994, the Ontario Court struck down the resolution, finding that the council did not have the power to make such a declaration.

[37] In December 1991, the council voted almost unanimously to recommend that the title "alderman" be replaced with "councillor".

[41] In 1996, the council became the centre of controversy when it appointed Joe Fratesi, the mayor at the time, to the city's top staff job.

Fratesi was twice found to have violated conflict of interest legislation when he applied for and accepted the chief administrative officer position while still mayor.

Mayor Christian Provenzano argued that "we have more councillors per capita than the vast majority of communities we compare to".

Having been missing for three months, in May 1918 the council declared alderman and former mayor William H. Munro's Ward Two seat vacant.

[46] Following a nomination period, the council elected W. J. Jeffery by acclimation to fill the remainder of the term.

[47] Three months later, Munro's remains were found in the St. Marys River, the result of an accidental drowning that January.

[50] Having retired in 2014 at the age of 87, Frank Manzo is the oldest person to have served on city council.

[52] Two female councillors, Lorena Tridico and Susan Myers, each served one month as acting mayor following John Rowswell's death in 2010.

[53] In June 2017, for the first time in its history, a vacancy on council was filled by drawing a name from a fish bowl.

When a third round of voting resulted in a tie, Ozzie Grandinetti was declared elected when, following tradition in the province, names were placed in a glass fishbowl and drawn by the city clerk.

[69] ᛡ Steve Butland was elected in a May 2, 1996 by-election to succeed Joe Fratesi who had been named the city's chief administrative officer.

[72] ᛡ Frank Manzo was elected in a December 13, 2001 by-election to succeed Tom Austin who died on September 21, 2001.

ᛡ Following Rowswell's death on August 31, 2010, three councillors served as acting mayor for the remainder of the term.

[84] ᛡᛡ Ozzie Grandinetti was appointed by council on June 26, 2017 to replace Ross Romano.