The consultants Clearview Township hired to help with the Electoral Review process recommend it make minimal changes to the current system.
“The cautious preference would probably be to keep change to a minimum,” the report said. “In that context, the three Options that were deemed to be most successful at respecting the principles established for this Review are the least disruptive to Clearview’s present electoral.”
“The Consultant Team has concluded, however, that the existing ward system has a number of shortcomings that can be overcome by adopting a new system of representation.”
To improve the current ward system, Watson and Associated Economists Ltd. proposes four options: two for the current seven-ward system, and two for reducing to a five-ward system.
The report examines Clearview’s existing population and forecasts its population and housing growth. It also analyzes alternatives to the current system including an at-large system, which does not use electoral districts.
In an at-large system, nine or seven officials would be elected on the same basis and work from a mandate from the “entire” community.
However, the Township is made up of a geographically large area with distinct communities. This does not lend itself well to effective representation of the population in an at-large system of voting, the report said.
“Most importantly, hardly any members of the public said they wanted it,” said Brent Preston, Councillor for Ward 3.
At four town hall meetings held in September, not one person spoke for the at-large system.
More than 200 members of the public attended the town hall meetings held in Stayner, Nottawa, Brentwood and Creemore last month.
Members of the public can listen to the consultants’ report at a public meeting on Monday, October 7 at the Stayner Community Centre at 7 pm. There will also be time for public input and comments from Council.
Council will discuss the different options and make a final decision about which option to take at its Monday, October 21 meeting.
To read the report, visit www.clearview.ca.