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Francis Hugh Bell was born 6 August 1855 at Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he later became a barrister. He married M. Leila Steede (1862-1933) of Hamilton, Bermuda. They had at least two children, a daughter Barbara and a son, Hugh. Bell was a member of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron and closely involved with the Marblehead to Halifax races. Frank H. Bell died in 1940.

The Dartmouth Town Council governed the incorporated Town of Dartmouth. In 1873 Council consisted of a Warden and six Councillors who were residents of the Town's three wards and who were elected by the rate-payers. The Warden was elected for one year by all Wards. The Warden presided at all meetings and was head of the Council and Chief Executive Officer of the town. As of December 1888 however, the name of the position of Warden was changed to Mayor.

Council Meetings were held quarterly, but the Warden could call special meetings as often as necessary. There was also to be an annual meeting of the rate-payers of the town where the audited accounts of the year could be produced and Council, through the Warden, would report to the meeting the state and condition of the Town. The rate-payers at these meetings would, by majority vote, affirm any extraordinary expenditure required for the year. After the meeting, the Council would then pass a by-law at their next meeting imposing a rate to meet the expenditure.

In 1948, District 28 of the Municipality of the County of Halifax was amalgamated into the Town and became a new, fourth ward. Council composition changed accordingly - with two councillors elected for each ward plus the Mayor for two year terms, Council was then composed of 9 members. This remained the composition of Council up until and beyond the time when the Town was incorporated as a City in 1961.

In 1749 the first settlers arrived in Halifax to found a town which could provide an adequate base for the British military on the north-Atlantic coast. Prior to incorporation in 1841, civic administration was in the hands of governors and magistrates appointed by Britain, and justices of the peace who managed local affairs and performed legal duties in meetings referred to as general or quarter-sessions. Although the system had at times drawn heavy criticism, an elected system of local governance didn’t emerge until an act was passed in 1841 to incorporate the city. The act vested administration of municipal affairs in a council consisting of a mayor, six aldermen and twelve common councilmen. Stephen Binney became Halifax’s first mayor. From 1841 thru 1996 the civic administration of the city underwent many changes, for example, the office of common councilmen was dissolved shortly after incorporation, the number of wards and councillors fluctuated, as did the method of selecting a mayor. On 1 April 1996, city governance underwent the most significant change since incorporation, when the City of Halifax amalgamated with the City of Dartmouth, the Municipality of the County of Halifax, and the Town of Bedford to form Halifax Regional Municipality. A complete list of the mayors of Halifax prior to 1996 is available in H. Millard Wright’s One Region Many Leaders. Bibliography “Municipal Facts, Figures, and History - The History of Municipal Government in Nova Scotia,” Government of Nova Scotia, http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/muns/info/history/originHIST1.asp (accessed November 24, 2006).Wright, H. Millard. One Region Many Leaders. Halifax: Halifax Regional Municipality, 2002. c. 1, p. 1.

The Halifax-Dartmouth Regional Authority was incorporated under the provisions of Chapter 72 of the Statutes of Nova Scotia, 1962. It was composed of six members, broken down as follows: 1) two members, appointed by the Council of the City of Halifax, who shall be the Mayor and an alderman, for a term of three years; 2) two members, appointed by the Council of the Municipality of the County of Halifax, who shall be the warden of the county and a councillor, for a term of three years; and 3) two members, appointed by the Council of the City of Dartmouth, for a term of three years. The Authority had the power to accept and discharge any municipal responsibilities conferred upon it by by-law duly passed by two or more of the participating bodies and was responsible for correctional facilities, waste management, and parks and recreational facilities. It met twelve to fifteen times a year. The Authority had to submit a financial report no later than January 31 each year and make an annual report to the participating bodies. The Halifax-Dartmouth Regional Authority became the Metropolitan Authority in 1978 and its composition changed. Bibliography City Clerk’s Office. Halifax (N.S.). City of Halifax. Committees, Boards and Commissions. February 1996. p. 85-90. City Solicitor. Halifax (N.S.). The City Council, Its Committees, Boards and Commissions, and the Civic Administration of the City of Halifax for the year 1964. February 17, 1964. p. 60-61.

City of Halifax accepted the invitation of Hakodate Japan to be its twin-city on August 26, 1982; however the Halifax-Hakodate Committee wasn't formally established until December 17, 1987. It was composed of: the Mayor; such other members of City Council as the Mayor recommends and City Council approves; a senior member of City of Halifax staff; a member of the Halifax District School Board;a member of the Halifax Regional Library Board;four citizens at large;a member of the Halifax Industrial Commission;a member of the Halifax Board of Trade; staff support from Tourism Halifax and the Mayor’s office.

The Halifax-Hakodate Committee’s objective was to promote cultural, business, educational and social ties with the Twin City, Hakodate, Japan. The Committee had the following Terms of Reference:
To develop a structure that will promote the Objective; To disseminate information about Hakodate in Halifax; To receive and develop concepts offered by City Council and the public-at-large that promote relations between Halifax and Hakodate; To liaise with other levels of government for co-operation and financial assistance in developing the Objective; To act as liaison for City Council for Twin-City visits; To involve the public-at-large in as fitting a way as possible in promoting the Objective; To develop a procedure for consideration by City Council to ensure that the Halifax-Hakodate Committee becomes an ongoing Committee of Halifax City Council; To make recommendations for adoption by City Council that will promote the Objective; To report to City Council on the activities of the Committee on a regular basis.

The board of Commissioners of Halifax Common was established by 1895 and consisted of ten members appointed annually by council. Replacing the earlier Commons Committee, this board was also responsible for managing and controlling the Commons and Pubic Gardens but consisted of six aldermen and four Halifax city ratepayers. The board elected one of the aldermen to serve as chairman and one of the citizen commissioners to serve as vice-chairman. While building on the Commons was forbidden, commissioners could recommend council to lease part of the land to individuals or organizations. The name and structure of this committee changed in about 1924 to the Committee on Public Parks, Gardens, and Commons. Sources

Wallace Graham and F.H. Bell, revisers, The Halifax City Charter with the Ordinances and By-laws, (Halifax, N.S.: 1907), 31, 192-194.

The Halifax Drug Dispensing Committee was a special committee established by the Public Health and Welfare Committee at a meeting held in August 1966. Representatives from the City of Dartmouth and the County of Halifax also attended the special meeting to discuss ways to continue the services of the Halifax Visiting Dispensary, a group that provided subsidized medical services and drugs to the area’s needy. The Drug Dispensing Committee was formed to examine the supplying of drugs to the needy in the metropolitan area and how the dispensary’s service might be continued. The committee consisted of representatives from each of the local municipalities involved. Sources

Peter Richard, "Report – Special Committee – Proposed Dispensing Unit," TD, 19 August 1966, City of Halifax Fonds, Public Health and Welfare Series, Drug Dispensing Committee Sub-series, HRM Archives, Dartmouth, N.S.

The Commissioners of the Hospital and Poors’ Asylum was a joint corporate body formed between the provincial and city governments under Chapter forty-two of the Acts of 1866. The commissioners were responsible for managing the city hospital and poor asylum and assumed the powers, duties, and assets of the Commissioners of the Poor Asylum, an earlier body charged with managing the Poor Asylum. The commissioners were also mandated under Chapter forty-two to build a new city poor asylum and repair the city hospital with funds garnered through the sale of land under their management. The Commissioners of the Hospital and Poor Asylum consisted of eight people appointed by the Governor-in-Council, three people appointed by council, and the mayor. Commissioners met on a monthly basis, elected a chairman from amongst the board on a yearly basis, and reported to city council. Sources Committee of the Hospital and Poors’ Asylum, Minute book, 7 May 1866, City of Halifax Fonds, City Home Records Series, Miscellaneous Board and Committee Records Sub-series, HRM Archives, Dartmouth, NS, 1-3.

Gordon Douglas Pollock, “The Halifax Poor House Fire: Public Accountability in Late Nineteenth Century Nova Scotia,” RG 35-102-33 Case File, HRM Archives, Dartmouth, NS, 6.

Point Pleasant Park, in the south end of Halifax Peninsula has been managed by a board referred to as the Directors of Point Pleasant Park, the Commissioners of Point Pleasant Park, and the Point Pleasant Park Commission. Established in 1866, the original directors included seven prominent citizens, the mayor and city recorder (clerk), under president William Young, and oversaw much of the initial acquisition and layout of the Park. An 1873 act changed the composition to four citizens, the mayor, and an alderman from each ward. Young continued as chair and alderman John S.D. Thompson became Secretary. With a secretary and treasurer, the board had the power to accept financial donations for the park and hire the superintendent and other workers to improve the grounds, with the approval of the Halifax Royal Engineers; make park regulations or by-laws; and appoint gate keepers. In 1963, there were eleven directors, appointed as follows: four permanent directors, not members of City Council; the mayor; three members of council, appointed by council; and three taxpayers of the city, appointed by council. The city clerk and the treasurer of the city acted respectively as secretary and treasurer of the Directors of Point Pleasant Park. By 1994, there were nine members including the four permanent directors, the mayor, three taxpayers appointed by council and one member of council appointed by council. Although the structure of the committee changed over the years, the responsibilities and powers of the board changed little. At some point, probably after 1996, the board managing Point Pleasant Park was reformed as the Point Pleasant Park Advisory Committee.

In 1950 the City Solicitor advised that a library advisory committee be created to help manage the new Halifax Memorial Library. This enlarged committee, consisting of local citizens, members of local service clubs, and city officials, had the power to seek and accept tenders, hire staff, and determine library policy. The committee was replaced by the Halifax Memorial Library Board in 1952 in accordance with chapter 88 of the Acts of 1952.