The City of Winnipeg was incorporated in 1873 by a charter granted by the legislature of Manitoba. At incorporation, the City established a committee system of government – while Council was the governing body for the City, it was in committee that civic policies were formed and executed. The initial task for the first and all subsequent Councils was to strike standing committees for the Council year. In addition to standing committees, Council established special committees to investigate and manage various projects, issues and questions placed before the City. Special committees were typically struck by a Council motion that outlined committee composition and responsibilities.

The Special Committee to Investigate Inspection Services was appointed by Council in March of 1922 to consider and report on the amalgamation or coordination of inspection services. In particular, the committee was instructed to identify overlapping or duplicate effort and ways to increase efficiency and economy. The committee consisted of seven aldermen. While committee records do not contain a final report or recommendations, the task of reorganizing city departments is revisited between 1923 and 1926 by another special committee.