Council to mull reduction from eight members to six

October 18, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

Almost two-thirds of voters in the 2014 Municipal Election voted in favour of reducing the size of Council from eight members plus the Mayor to six, but voter turnout wasn’t high enough to make the decision binding.
Council, however, will take another look at the matter next Tuesday, October 24.
There, they will consider a motion expected to be brought forward by Councillor Sandra Humfryes calling on Council to remove two Council positions in time for the 2018 Municipal Election.
“Council deemed it appropriate to undertake a review of the Town’s governance model to ensure that it best serves the future needs of our residents,” says Councillor Humfryes in her Notice of Motion. “[Following the ballot question] nearly two thirds of those who voted said they were in favour of reducing the size of Council.”
With the municipal election campaign set to kick off in just a few months, significant changes to the structure of Council will need to be approved by December 31.
As such, she is calling on Council to reduce its size to seven members – six Councillors plus Mayor.
It is a concept that has often been discussed by Council, discussions which have often led to debate on whether these six Council positions, if Council is indeed reduced in size, should be considered full-time positions rather than the current complement of eight positions which are officially part-time.
The Motion will be discussed at next week’s Council meeting on October 24, which is set to take place in Council Chambers starting at 7 p.m.

HAVE YOUR SAY? – Would you like to see Council reduced in size? If so, should a smaller roster of Councillors be considered full-time positions? Send your thoughts to letters@auroran.com.