East Gwillimbury moves ahead with electoral review

Yorkregion.com
March 24, 2016
By Simon Martin

The Town of East Gwillimbury is moving ahead with its plan to have an electoral review.  

Council approved in principle parameters of the review and for staff to seek a private consultant to complete the document.

During a contentious council debate in December, $30,000 was set aside for the review as part of the town’s 2016 budget.

It will examine many aspects of the electoral system, including whether the current at-large system is best or if a ward system would better serve constituents, consideration of additional councillors and consideration of deputy mayor role.

“I think this is needed,” Councillor Tara Roy-DiClemente said.

There was little discussion about the parameters of the electoral review Tuesday because two previous opponents, councillors James Young and Marlene Johnston, were absent from the meeting.

Back in December, Johnston said the town didn’t need a consultant to tell it if it needed two additional councilors to represent residents, citing the 2010 referendum results that stated residents have little desire to change the local electoral system.

But not everyone agrees.

Roy-DiClemente is on the record as being unhappy with how the referendum question was phrased because it did not offer an alternative to an at-large system.

The question on the ballot in 2010 was, “Are you in favour of the existing electoral system of electing four councillors at large in East Gwillimbury?”

There was a clear victory with 4,002 “Yes” votes and 1,231 “No” votes.

A resident-backed petition for a ward system reached the Ontario Municipal Board in 2011 but the request was denied because the group didn’t show compelling reason to divide the town into wards.

East Gwillimbury currently has the smallest council in York Region with five elected officials; the smallest allowed under the Ontario Municipal Act. The size can lead to problems, especially when two councillors are away and one of the sitting councillors has to declare a conflict of interest on an issue.   

With rapid growth poised to engulf Sharon, Queensville and Holland Landing, council decided now was the time for the oft-debated electoral review.

East Gwillimbury and Aurora are the only municipalities in York Region with at-large electoral systems. Under the current format, the four councillor candidates who receive the most votes are elected.

The ward system is favoured by some because it lends itself to a more fair and guaranteed representation for individual communities at council.

That becomes an issue in East Gwillimbury, where Holland Landing, Sharon, Mount Albert, Queensville and Harvest Hills are rather distinct communities. Currently, East Gwillimbury doesn’t have a councillor who hails from Mount Albert.

The cost of an additional two councillors shouldn’t be understated. While an East Gwillimbury councillor’s salary was $41,752 in 2014, the actual cost to the taxpayer was closer to $60,000 when you factor in benefits and car allowance.

Two additional councillors would cost the town about $120,000 or about a 1-per-cent tax increase at current population levels.

Staff hopes to hire an independent consultant by May and there will be public consultations in the fall with final recommendations expected to come before the end of the year.

If council implements any changes at that point, East Gwillimbury could have a different electoral system in the 2018 election.