Sarnia's city operations are being governed by a so-called "lame duck" bylaw until November 30.
The bylaw takes effect if the new council, to be elected October 22, will include less than three-quarters of the members from the outgoing council.
It's already known that there will be at least three new members on the new council because two incumbents (Cindy Scholten, and Mike Kelch) aren't running, and Anne Marie Gillis is challenging Mike Bradley for the mayor's chair.
City Clerk Diane Gould-Brown says there are a few things council will be restricted from doing.
"The restricted acts include the appointment or removal from office of any officer of the municipality, hiring or dismissal of any employee of the municipality, disposition of any real or personal property in which value exceeds $50,000 at the time of disposal, and making any expenditures or incurring any liability which exceeds $50,000."
The bylaw gives Chief Administrative Officer Margaret Misek-Evans the authority to deal with property matters in the business parks, and she already has the power to handle employee matters.
If anything arises, she'll be required to make a report to council in the first quarter of 2019.
The new four-year municipal term begins December 1.