Growth prompts Vaughan to review ward boundaries
Yorkregion.com
June 17, 2016
By Adam Martin-Robbins
The city is looking at redrawing its electoral boundaries in response to the rapid growth that’s happened in Vaughan during the past several years.
And the consulting team working on the project wants to hear from you.
Three options - aimed at creating an equitable representation system in time for the 2018 municipal election – are currently being weighed.
Those options are:
- Maintain the current five wards. This would result in an increased average ward population of 71,600, up from 62,800, by 2022.
- Maintain current average ward population of 62,800. This would be achieved by creating a sixth ward.
- Reduce the number of wards to four. This would result in an increased average ward population of 89,500.
The third option is based on the Ontario Municipal Board’s recognition of the role local and regional councillors play in helping share the workload of local ward councillors, according to a report prepared by the consulting team working on the project.
The Region of York is considering increasing the number of regional councillors representing Vaughan to four from the current three.
Before a decision is made on the preferred option, the consulting team behind the project – comprised of the Canadian Urban Institute, Beate Bowron Etcetera, The Davidson Group and Hemson Consulting – is seeking feedback from residents.
To that end, three public meetings take place next week:
- Wednesday, June 22 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in activity room 3 at Garnet A. Williams Community Centre, 501 Clark Ave. W. in Thornhill.
- Thursday, June 23 from 7 p.m. to 9p.m. in committee room 242 at city hall, 2141 Major Mackenzie Dr. in Maple.
- Saturday, June 25 from 10 a.m. until noon in activity room 1 at Al Palladini Community Centre, 9201 Islington Ave., in Woodbridge.
- Wednesday, June 29, 7 to 9 p.m at city hall in Room 242.
If you can’t attend, you can complete an online survey at http://fluidsurveys.com/s/vaughanwbr-optionssurvey/.
A hard copy of the survey can also be filled out at the public meetings.
The goal is to identify a preferred option by September.
Once that happens, there will be another round of public consultation.
A final report, with a recommendation for ward boundary changes, is expected to go before city council in January 2017.
