Winnipeg mayor seeks charter changes amid councillor’s sex assault charges
Posted August 13, 2026 1:39 pm.
Last Updated August 13, 2026 1:40 pm.
Changes could be coming to Winnipeg’s charter to manage instances when an elected official faces serious criminal charges, amid the latest allegations against councillor Russ Wyatt.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham will ask city council to formally request that the provincial government review and make changes to the city’s charter.
Gillingham wants to see measures implemented in “exceptional circumstances” while serious criminal charges are before the courts, including temporarily removing an official from all committees and boards; mandatory remote participation in council and committee meetings; or administrative leave.
The mayor also wants a review of which criminal convictions should automatically disqualify someone from continuing to hold office. In addition, Gillingham is asking that eligibility rules be reviewed for municipal candidates, including the possibility of restrictions or safeguards for individuals facing serious criminal charges at the time of an election.
“Winnipeggers have a right to expect a high standard from the people they elect to public office,” Gillingham said in a news release. “We also have to respect the presumption of innocence and the democratic choice of voters. Right now, provincial legislation gives council very little ability to balance those two principles when serious circumstances arise.
“Being charged with an offence is not the same as being convicted, and politicians should never have an unrestricted power to remove another democratically elected representative. But right now, the law gives us almost no middle ground. We need reasonable options that protect public confidence while also protecting due process and the democratic rights of voters.
“This isn’t about having politicians decide whether another politician is guilty or innocent. That’s the job of the courts. It’s about making sure council has reasonable tools to deal with extraordinary circumstances while that process takes place.”
Under the city’s current charter, councillors are only removed from office for criminal offences after a conviction.
On Tuesday, Winnipeg police announced city councillor Wyatt was facing a new sex assault charge for an alleged incident from October 2023. Wyatt was arrested Monday and charged with sexual assault and administering a noxious thing with intent to endanger life or cause bodily harm. He was released on an undertaking.
Earlier this year, the Transcona councillor was charged with sexual assault and administering a noxious thing with intent to aggrieve or annoy in connection with a separate alleged incident from December 2025.
The allegations against him have not been tested in court.
Mayor Gillingham has long urged Wyatt to take a leave of absence. The councillor has not stepped away from the job, nor has he announced whether he will seek re-election in Winnipeg’s October election.
Winnipeg city council voted to remove Wyatt from seven committees and boards on April 30.
Gillingham plans to introduce a notice of motion at September’s council meeting. He says after the October election, the newly elected council will be able to consider the proposal when it takes office.
