Out of the frying pan…

Councillors make a decision out of fear, but mayor doubts it will work

After 18 years of talking about the size of council and how the County should be represented, council has at last shifted—albeit slightly. The result is a compromise no one is happy with. The pressure to exit the stalemate in which council had become mired in October led council to choose the least invasive option. It was at last a decision—though a very weak one. Further it is likely to be appealed, according to Mayor Robert Quaiff, because council refused to complete its own prescribed process.

After presentations from some of the most vocal advocates for both reducing the size of council and the number of County wards, and after a long discussion by councillors to a full crowd at Shire Hall, council decided to vote on either keeping the status quo or reducing the size of council—to 14 members from 16.

Mayor Robert Quaiff says the decision still has a process to go through. County staff will write a by-law, which will be reviewed by the County’s legal department. Then it will come before council to be approved. If council votes in favour of the new by-law, there will be a short window for anyone in the County to object by taking the matter to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) for appeal.

“I’m disappointed, because what I specifically wanted council to do was take my advice and finish the process. And unfortunately, council didn’t want to finish the process,” says Quaiff. “Instead nine of them decided to support the nine-ward proposal by John Thompson and seven decided not to, so at the end of the day I guess that’s the plan that we have to support.”

The process was one prescribed by council itself, to conduct surveys and town halls throughout the County, find the two most popular plans, then send the options to staff to report on which one fit best with council’s intention for a smaller council and any ward changes.

“We were to select the favourite two and then send that back to staff for a report to see which one met the criteria that council originally came up with. Does it create voter parity? Does it create rep by pop? Does it keep community interests in play? All of those features. Did we do what we were supposed to do? For me, no. We didn’t complete it,” says Quaiff. “And it could be a bit of an embarrassment if we do get challenged to the OMB.”

The nine-ward plan, prepared by John Thompson, received only tepid response from the 600 people who took part in the surveys the County conducted earlier this year—edging only the status quo (or no chage) for the least desired option. His plan is simple. Bloomfield will be absorbed by Hallowell and Sophiasburgh reduced by one councillor.

Unsurprisingly, Bloomfield councillor Barry Turpin, along with Sophiasburgh councillors Bill Roberts and Kevin Gale voted against it. All three had voted on October 29 to reduce the County to three wards with 10 councillors.

Indeed, few councillors voted the same way Tuesday as they had in October. Only Gordon Fox and Steven Ferguson maintained their vote for status quo, keeping council at 10 wards with 15 councillors plus a mayor.

In October, after a tied 8-8 vote, council was again locked in stalemate. A tie meant nothing would change. The blowback was pronounced, with residents threatening to take the matter to the OMB, a costly process for all involved.

Much more threatening, however, was the prospect that an outside adjudicator would impose a solution. So with their options dwindling nine councillors veered toward the least invasive option hoping it would be enough to satisfy the OMB.

But Mayor Robert Quaiff doubts this tactic will work.

“There’s a very strong possibility that the nine ward will be appealed to the OMB. And if that happens then council will no doubt have to defend their position before the OMB chair,” says Quaiff. “I would think that one of the strikes against us is that we didn’t finish the process.”

In the end council voted 9-7 to reduce council by just two councillors, a plan crafted to placate the OMB, rather than address the structural inequities of the current arrangement.

FOR THE RECORD
Voting in favour of the nine-ward, 13-councillor option were Picton councillors Treat Hull and Lenny Epstein, Ameliasburgh councillors Janice Maynard, Dianne O’Brien and Roy Pennell, Hillier councillor Stephen Graham, Athol councillor Jamie Forrester, North Marysburgh councillor David Harrison and Hallowell councillor Brad Nieman.