Strata council president duties in BC, and the AGM president's report
The president chairs the meetings and speaks for council, but holds far less personal power than most owners assume. Here is what the Standard Bylaws actually give the role, what they do not, and a report template for the AGM.
Last reviewed November 5, 2026, against the current Strata Property Act, Strata Property Regulation and Standard Bylaws on BC Laws.
The short answer
Under the Standard Bylaws, the president chairs annual and special general meetings (Bylaw 25), may break a tie at council and general meetings with a second, deciding vote unless the strata has only two lots (Bylaws 18 and 27), and may call a special general meeting demanded by owners without a council meeting (section 43(4)). The president has no power to make council decisions alone: decisions are made by a majority of council (Bylaw 18), and spending requires delegated authority (Bylaws 20 and 21).
How the president is elected
Owners elect the council at the AGM; the council then elects its officers. Under Standard Bylaw 13, at the first council meeting after each AGM the council must elect, from among its members, a president, a vice president, a secretary and a treasurer. One person may hold more than one office, except that the president cannot also be the vice president. Record the officer elections in the minutes of that first meeting, with the vote results.
What the bylaws give the president
| Power or duty | Source |
|---|---|
| Chairs annual and special general meetings (the vice president chairs if the president is unwilling or unable) | Standard Bylaw 25 |
| Breaks a tie at a council meeting with a second, deciding vote, unless the strata plan has only 2 lots | Standard Bylaw 18(2) |
| Breaks a tie at a general meeting with a second, deciding vote (or the vice president if the president is absent), unless the strata plan has only 2 lots | Standard Bylaw 27(5) and (6) |
| May call a special general meeting demanded by 20% of the votes without holding a council meeting | Section 43(4) |
| Like any council member, may call a council meeting on one week's notice | Standard Bylaw 14 |
| Like any council member, may spend to repair or replace common property if immediately required for safety or to prevent significant loss | Standard Bylaw 21(2) |
That is the complete list in the Standard Bylaws. Everything else a president does comes from the strata's own filed bylaws or from authority the council delegates by resolution (Standard Bylaw 20).
What the president cannot do alone
- Make council decisions. Decisions are made by a majority of the council members present at a council meeting (Standard Bylaw 18(1)). A president who "decides" by email and announces the result has not made a council decision.
- Spend the strata's money without authority. Nobody may spend strata money unless delegated the power to do so (Standard Bylaw 21(1)). Council can delegate a specific amount for a specific purpose, or a general authority with a maximum and stated conditions (Standard Bylaw 20).
- Decide bylaw contraventions or fines. Council cannot delegate the decision about whether someone contravened a bylaw, whether to fine them, or the amount (Standard Bylaw 20(4)).
- Override the owners. A majority vote at a general meeting can direct or restrict the council (section 27).
- Act in a conflict. A president with an interest in a contract or matter must disclose it, abstain and leave the meeting, like any council member (section 32).
None of this makes the role ceremonial. A good president sets the agenda with the secretary, runs efficient meetings, makes sure decisions are actually recorded and carried out, and is the steady voice owners hear from. But the authority is the council's, and the minutes should always show council deciding.
The president's job in practice
- Agenda and meetings: settle each council agenda with the secretary or manager, keep discussion to the agenda, and move every item to a decision or a named next step.
- Chairing general meetings: follow the order of business in Standard Bylaw 28, confirm quorum and proxies, announce each vote result for the minutes, and give owners a fair hearing. See our AGM checklist.
- Communication: respond to owners on council's behalf where council has agreed the message, and make sure owners are informed of minutes within two weeks (deadline rules).
- Follow-through: keep a running action list and review it at each meeting.
- Working with the manager: in a managed strata, be the main point of contact so instructions to the manager come from council decisions, not from several members at once.
AGM president's report template
Standard Bylaw 28(h) puts "reports of council activities and decisions since the previous annual general meeting, including reports of committees" on every AGM agenda. The president usually delivers that report. Keep it to one or two pages, factual, and focused on decisions owners need to understand. Adapt this outline:
President's Report to the Annual General Meeting, The Owners, Strata Plan [NUMBER], [DATE]
1. Council this year. Council members and officers, number of council meetings held, and thanks to retiring members.
2. Major decisions. The three to six decisions owners most need to know, each in a sentence, with the month it was made. Example: "In March council engaged [Provider] to prepare the strata's depreciation report, approved by owners at the June special general meeting."
3. Repairs and projects. Completed work, work under way, and known work ahead, with reference to the depreciation report where relevant.
4. Finances in brief. One paragraph, deferring the detail to the treasurer's report: year-end position against budget, contingency reserve fund balance, and the reason for any proposed fee change.
5. Insurance. If the president gives the insurance report required at every AGM (section 154), state the insurer, coverage period, total insured value, deductibles and any material changes since last year.
6. Bylaws, rules and compliance. New rules for ratification, bylaw enforcement in general terms (no names), and any legal or tribunal matters the strata is a party to.
7. Looking ahead. Upcoming deadlines (for example the electrical planning report), resolutions on today's agenda and why council recommends them, and a call for council volunteers.
File a copy of the report with the AGM minutes; the minutes themselves only need to note that the report was presented and any questions or decisions that followed. The sample AGM minutes show how. The treasurer's report has its own template.
A new president's first month
- Read the registered bylaws and rules, the last two years of minutes, the current budget and the depreciation report.
- Confirm at the first council meeting who holds each office, who has signing authority at the bank, and any spending limits council is delegating (record them in the minutes).
- Agree a meeting schedule for the year and who drafts and sends the minutes.
- Make a list of open matters: repairs, complaints, hearing requests, records requests, insurance renewal, upcoming deadlines.
- Meet the strata manager, if there is one, and agree how council instructions will be given.
Replacing a president mid-term
If the president resigns the office or stops holding it, the vice president takes over for the rest of the term (Standard Bylaw 13(3)). The Standard Bylaws do not expressly give council a power to remove a president from the office mid-term, and councils have disputed whether one exists, so check your filed bylaws: many stratas have added a bylaw letting council re-elect officers at any council meeting. Owners can always remove the person from council altogether by majority vote at a general meeting (Standard Bylaw 11), covered in our guide to removing a council member. If a removal is contested, get advice before acting.
Questions councils and owners ask
Can a strata president make decisions alone?
No. Council decisions are made by a majority of council members present at a council meeting (Standard Bylaw 18). The president can act alone only where council has delegated authority by resolution, or to spend on repairs immediately required for safety or to prevent significant loss (Standard Bylaw 21(2)).
Does the strata president get a deciding vote?
Under Standard Bylaws 18(2) and 27(5) the president may break a tie with a second, deciding vote at council and general meetings, unless the strata has only two lots. If your strata's filed bylaws replaced those bylaws without a tie-break, the president has no deciding vote.
Does a strata council have to have a president?
Under Standard Bylaw 13, council must elect a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer at its first meeting after each AGM. Your filed bylaws may differ.
What should be in a strata president's annual report at the AGM?
A summary of council's activities and decisions since the last AGM (Standard Bylaw 28(h)): council membership and meetings, major decisions, repairs and projects, a brief financial summary, insurance if the president gives that report, bylaw and legal matters in general terms, and what is ahead.
Can the president call a special general meeting without council?
Only for a special general meeting demanded in writing by owners holding at least 20% of the votes (section 43(4)). Otherwise the strata corporation calls special general meetings by council decision.
Run the meeting. We will write it up.
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This page is general information for BC strata corporations, not legal advice. Your strata's own filed bylaws may differ from the Standard Bylaws. See the current text of the Strata Property Act and the Strata Property Regulation on BC Laws.
Related guides
Council Roles
Strata Treasurer Duties
The Secretary's Job
The AGM Checklist
Sample AGM Minutes
Conflicts of Interest