Delayed start

Council defers size of council issue so it can develop its own proposal

It was meant to be a starting point, according to Mayor Robert Quaiff, a way for this new term of council to begin to talk about reducing their number. For an issue that has bruised and battered three previous terms and ended in weary deadlock on each occasion, describing last Thursday’s special meeting as a starting point seemed at odds with the story’s long and complicated history.

Because the size of council been debated so thoroughly over the past years, there were few new arguments posited in the hour and a half long session. Those who are against downsizing worry that representation will be diminished. Those who argue for a smaller council want it to work better—faster, smarter and more responsibly.

So Thursday’s meeting was mostly about restating positions.

Bloomfield councillor Barry Turpin reiterated the principles that matter most to him on the issue. He is looking for an electoral system that provides fairer representation by population. He also wants to eliminate the current arrangement wherein some County residents are represented by one councillor, yet others are represented by two or three. Finally he wants to see any new council reconfiguration be an odd number, to avoid the deadlock that has frequently undermined council decisions since amalgamation.

He has reservations, however, about Mayor Quaiff’s proposal of a two-ward system along the same lines of the County’s school board representation model.

“How do you knock on every door in a ward of 12,000 voters?” asked Turpin.

Some council members warned council against inaction. They noted that the issue was raised often and with deep frustration at doorsteps in the last election campaign.

“They are really mad,” said Treat Hull, Picton councillor. “The people feel as though their voices are not being heard.”

But others around the horseshoe want council to shelve the issue.

“We have lots of time,” said David Harrison, North Marysburgh councillor. “We have three and a half more years. Haste makes waste.”

Others complained, as they did last term and the term before that, that council has “bigger fish to fry.”

Still other councillors believe the current electoral arrangement works just fine.

“Our greatest strength is that we are a community of communities,” said Janice Maynard, Ameliasburgh councillor. “Change is not worth the upheaval. When the pen hits the map, everything that is special about the County will be lost.”

Maynard observed that several parts of Canada have made accommodation for certain regions where representation by population isn’t adhered to.

Mayor Quaiff reacted with irritation as the concensus appeared to veer toward doing nothing.

“This is before us because a majority of council said they wanted it brought forward early in this term,” bristled Quaiff. “It was one of our stated goals. Ten voted strongly in favour. Six stood opposed. My intention is that we start this discussion.”

Quaiff reminded his fellow council members that 81 per cent voted for a review of council size when the question was put to the people in 2010. In each and every ward a clear majority of those who answered the question were in favour of the proposition.

Some pointed out that a review was indeed completed by a Citizens’ Assembly in 2013. They contend that despite council’s rejection of the Assembly’s recommendation—that review was done. Others aren’t convinced.

“People interpreted their vote on the ballot question as downsizing,” said Hull.

Hull called upon council to show leadership on the issue.

In an attempt to do that, Mayor Quaiff put his two-ward proposal on the floor for an up or down vote.

“It is my intention that this is a starting point, something we can take out to the community,” said Quaiff.   Others wanted to present a menu of options including the current system. But Quaiff predicted that if they take five or six plans out to the public “you won’t do anything this term either.”

Some, like Picton councillor Lenny Epstein wanted to know the shape and form of the proposed public consultation. Councillor Maynard wants council to meet and develop its own proposal.

Wellington councillor Jim Dunlop said council must first agree to reducing the size of council, present one plan to accomplish that, then go to the public.

“Otherwise we risk wasting a lot more time,” said Dunlop.

Sophiasburgh councillor Bill Roberts said do nothing wasn’t an option.

“Our ratepayers deserve action, one way or another,” said Roberts. “We need to collectively show that. We were elected here and we should act accordingly.”

Fellow Sophiasburgh councillor Kevin Gale has served on council since this notion was born. He urged newer councillors to see a broader perspective—beyond personal feelings either for or against.

“This issue is bigger than us,” said Gale. “The ratepayer is watching us closely.”

In the end council elected to defer the matter until such time as they could sit and discuss the alternatives among themselves, with the goal of arriving at a concensus proposal.

Alternatives

Three proposals were presented last week about how council and the system for electing them might be modified.

Mayor Robert Quaiff proposes a two-ward system using the same method as the school board. Ameliasburgh, Sophiasburgh, Hillier and Wellington would form one ward. Bloomfield, Picton, Athol and North and South Marysburgh would form the other. Each ward would elect five councillors. Add the mayor and the proposal passes a number of tests. It provides much more equitable representation by population, it retains ward boundaries, it delivers an odd-number sized council, it features the same number of representatives in each ward and it agrees with the recommendation made by the Citizens’ Assembly—that is 10 councillors and mayor.

The N.E.W. plan prepared by Gary Mooney realigns existing wards into a three-ward system— north, east and west. It, too, provides much improved representation by population and retains the integrity of the historic wards. It also features a common number of representatives. But it fails to deliver an odd-numbered body, unless it veers significantly (either a seven or 13-member council) away of the recommendation made by the Citizens’ Assembly.

John Thompson, former councillor and Federation of Agriculture chair prepared and presented a third alternative to council last week. His Plan 13 envisions a very light rework—eliminating one councillor in Sophiasburgh and combining Bloomfield and Hallowell into one ward.

This would reduce the number of councillors from 15 to 13. Plan 13 edges closer to more equitable representation—though some imbalance would persist. It avoids much of the upheaval that might arise from this contentious exercise. But Thompson’s Plan 13 also fails to deliver an odd-sized council. Nor does it acknowledge the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly.

For a more complete explanation of each of these alternatives, visit the Size of Council section on our website by clicking here.