- BIA (Business Improvement Area)
- A stretch of shops and businesses where the owners pay an extra levy to improve and promote their own main street. London has five, including Downtown and the Old East Village.
- CIP (Community Improvement Plan)
- A city plan that lets London offer grants and incentives to property owners who redevelop in targeted areas, like the core.
- Development Charges (DC)
- Fees the city collects on new construction to help pay for the roads, sewers, and services that growth requires. The idea: growth pays for growth, instead of existing taxpayers.
- Strong-mayor powers
- Provincial powers that let London's mayor propose the city budget directly. Council then has 30 days to amend it, and the mayor can veto amendments within 10 days.
- "Deemed adopted"
- How a budget passes under the strong-mayor process: once the amendment and veto windows close, the mayor's proposed budget automatically becomes law. Council never holds a single yes/no vote on the whole thing.
- MMP (Mobility Master Plan)
- London's long-range plan for how people get around — transit, driving, cycling, and walking. It guides transportation projects and spending; council approved the final plan on July 22, 2025.
- UGB (Urban Growth Boundary)
- The line around London's built-up area: inside is land planned for city growth, outside is farmland. Council adopts expansions, but they only take effect once the province approves them, which shapes where new subdivisions can go.
- HAF (Housing Accelerator Fund)
- A federal program that pays cities to speed up housing approvals. London signed the first deal in Canada ($74M, September 2023); as amended it offers up to $81.5M tied to 2,371 additional housing units between 2024 and 2026.
- Whole of Community System Response
- London's coordinated plan for responding to homelessness, built around service hubs and focused on people with the highest needs. Community agencies deliver it alongside the city, not the city alone.
- eSCRIBE
- The online system where the City of London publishes council and committee agendas and minutes. The recorded votes this site's scorecards are built from live there.
- Integrity Commissioner
- An independent officer who investigates complaints that a council member broke the code of conduct. They recommend penalties; council then votes on whether to apply them.
- Recorded division / roll call
- A vote where each council member's yes or no is written into the minutes, rather than a show of hands. It's the only kind of vote where you can see exactly how your councillor voted.
- Advance vote
- Days before election day when you can cast the same ballot early. London's 2026 advance voting days are October 1, 3, and 5–10.
- Nomination day / certified list
- The deadline to file papers to run for office — August 21, 2026, in London. After that, the City Clerk reviews the filings and certifies the official candidate list.
- Third-party advertiser
- A person or group other than a candidate that registers with the city to spend money on ads supporting or opposing candidates during the election.
- Ward
- One of the 14 geographic areas London is divided into, each electing one councillor. The 2026 election uses new ward boundaries, so your ward may have changed.