Vote

In 1994, more than 90 per cent of eligible voters in Wellington voted in the municipal election to elect a reeve and four councillors to the village council. Twelve years later in the amalgamated County, fewer than 40 per cent of eligible voters chose our current council. Can there be a more crystal clear signal of the failure of amalgamation? We’ll leave that for another day.

It seems clear that as local government got further away, the electorate in Prince Edward County became disaffected and disconnected. While they may have had a chance to influence change in the village, who was going to listen at Shire Hall?

The disappointing result of low voter participation is that we must endure the same cast of characters running in election after election—many of whom are well past their best-before date. This might be satisfactory if things were going well at Shire Hall. But they’re not. In fact, things have gone very badly for the ratepayers in Prince Edward County since amalgamation.

The tax levy is up 132 per cent—more than double since amalgamation. User fees are climbing at a similarly staggering rate. Our municipal debt has risen from $2.2 million in 2002 to over $45 million projected for the end of this year; much of this debt is to be shouldered by the residents in Picton and Wellington who receive water and sewer services.

Meanwhile, reserves have dwindled from $11 million two years ago to just $6 million. The past decade has been a disaster at Shire Hall.

The average person sees their tax bill escalating but they don’t see a corresponding improvement in the services they receive. This is a corrosive disconnect that breeds bitterness and frustration. Many have turned their backs on Shire Hall in disgust. But in doing so they have only ensured that nothing changes.

This is because when only 40 per cent show up on election day—the incumbent candidate wins. When voter turnout is so low, the incumbent needs only face recognition plus their core supporters and the race is over.

A couple elections go by and potential challengers learn they can’t beat a candidate that attends every tea and social in their ward—so they stop trying. Issues don’t matter. Track records don’t matter. Accountability doesn’t matter. Visibility is the only thing that matters. Parades, it turns out, matter.

So here we are. It is just days before nomination papers must be filed in order to run in the Oct. 25 election and, as it sits now, there won’t be an election for councillor in Hillier, Hallowell, South Marysburgh and Bloomfield. The four incumbents and one new candidate will be acclaimed if no contender steps forward.

As many as eight of the 16 seats around the council table could be filled by incumbents in December—just enough to stop anything that doesn’t meet their collective approval. If folks don’t show up at the poll—nothing changes. We have only ourselves to blame.

In this election, for the first time ever, County residents will have the option to vote online. County Clerk Victoria Leskie expects the added convenience of this additional method of voting will encourage a broader swath of the electorate to cast their ballot this year—particularly those who reside in the County part-time.

It is a two-step registration process to ensure the integrity of the vote. The first step is a registration card you will receive in the mail this month. This card will contain your Election Identification Number (EID).

Beginning on Oct. 1 you can go online to register using your EID. Once registered, you will receive a PIN (personal identification number) either by mail or email. Then you’re ready to vote.

You can vote online beginning on Oct. 2 and closing at midnight on Oct. 20—five days before Election Day.

Will it work? It is hard to know for sure. Certainly in wards without a contest it won’t make a difference. It is, however, certainly worth the effort.

The voters of Prince Edward County must return to the polls. We can never hope for meaningful change if we simply roll over and pretend our vote doesn’t count or that local government doesn’t matter.

Shire Hall consumes a large and growing share of your income each year. At least once every four years, make sure they hear from you.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca