Perilously divided

In 1998 the County was pushed into amalgamation by a provincial government that believed all ills could be cured and a vast treasure of savings could be released when smaller councils, hospitals and other public institutions were huddled into larger ones. They were terribly wrong on both counts but it seems provincial mistakes cannot be undone, no matter how destructive they prove to be.

In the final decade of the last century, many on this side of the bridge worried the province had designs on lumping this community in with Hastings County—a prospect neither wanted. So a deal was briskly arranged to cobble the ten wards of Prince Edward County together to form the City of Prince Edward—a surprising description that still exists today. Not all former townships were keen on the arrangement and some horse-trading was required to get all sides on board.

When it was done, the County had 16 representatives and 10 wards for 25,000 people. Prince Edward County had more councillors per person than any other singletier municipality in Ontario. By far. But prior to 1998 County residents had more than 50 municipal representatives—so 16 didn’t look so bad.

More problematic was that the arrangement had also created a gross imbalance in ward population—making some individual electors far more powerful than others. For example one ward had 5,000 electors, one had 500.

In a half-hearted attempt to balance out the population in each ward, a rough rule of thumb was devised whereby each ward would get a single representative for between 1 and 2,000 citizens. Under this formula, Hallowell got two councillors. So did Picton and Sophiasburgh. Ameliasburgh might have had just the two councillors had the framers stuck to their plan, but some last-minute haggling earned the northern ward a third representative. Every other ward (including Wellington with 1,700 electors and Bloomfield with 500) was represented by a single councillor.

It wasn’t perfect—but it was good enough to escape a forced merger with Hastings. It wasn’t long, however, before the murmurs of discontent began to be heard. Eventually they would bubble up to the surface.

The first significant efforts to try to fix the issues arose three terms ago. There was little enthusiasm for renewal as the amalgamated County wasn’t yet a decade old. So the matter faded only to rise again in the next term of council. Over and over again those 16 folks, as well as the Clerk Victoria Leskie, laboured to reach consensus on an array of options. But each time the debate ended in a bitter stalemate.

Without any good options, the previous council punted the issue over to the public to decide. A question was devised and put on the ballot for the 2010 municipal election.

Before that election was held, however, an Ontario Municipal Board adjudicator ruled that it would not impose a solution to the imbalance of representation among wards as long as this municipality was working toward a solution. County officials pointed to the question on the ballot as proof of their commitment to such a process.

When the votes were tallied the following October, 81 per cent said they wanted a review of the size of council.

Despite the OMB’s cautionary words, many on council chose to ignore the result for years into this term. At last, in April of this year, Council acted by commissioning a Citizens’ Assembly composed of County residents to make a recommendation to them about the size of council. The CA did that— recommending reducing council from 15 councillors to 10.

Sadly, it seems we are approaching yet another stalemate. Eight council members have agreed to the Citizens’ Assembly recommendation, six others have rejected it. Two have yet to vote—but, at least, one councillor appeared willing to predict that his two absent colleagues would be voting no. If he is right and each councillor sticks to his or her position— never a safe assumption, mind you—the results from the question on the ballot and the subsequent Citizens’ Assembly work will be flushed down the toilet with yet another tie vote.

It would be a shame if this is how this game plays out. For another OMB appeal will follow. It will find that the imbalance in representation is intolerable and will redraw the lines on our behalf. The province will have, within two decades, imposed a second reshaping of this community and how we govern ourselves.

The truly disappointing bit is that council could have fixed this. It could have developed a Countymade solution. But too many councillors ignored the signals. They ignored the OMB who told them they had a problem. They ignored the electorate who told them to fix it. They ignored the Citizens’ Assembly that told them how.

Very soon, now, they will have rendered themselves entirely pointless—that is when a provincial adjudicator decides the issue for them.

Maybe then then we can start anew.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca