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Town to embark on electoral review in 2016

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 29, 2015
By Simon Martin

You could see a whole different election in 2018 once council delves into the process in the coming year.

Looking ahead and forecasting growth over the next decade or so, the town set aside $30,000 toward an electoral review in 2016.

Talk of electoral reform shouldn’t come as a surprise to residents. In 2010, the town posed a referendum question asking residents if they were in favour of the existing electoral system of electing four councillors at-large.

Almost 3,000 more voters responded they liked the system the way it is. So, that put talk of an electoral review on ice for some time.

But noise was made during last council’s term that an electoral review is necessary.

“For four years, at every opportunity, I have advocated for and brought motions in the council chambers to begin the process for an electoral review,” Councillor Tara Roy-DiClemente said before the 2014 election.

Councillor Marlene Johnston had no support from council when she brought forward the idea of adding two councillors in 2013.

In 2014, former councillor Cathy Morton said she was left with a sour taste in her mouth when important decisions were made by two members of council because of councillors declaring conflict of interests and absences. “It is time to explore this option,” Morton said. 

East Gwillimbury currently has the smallest council in York Region at five members. That number also happens to be the smallest allowed by the Ontario Municipal Act.    

With rapid growth poised to engulf Sharon, Queensville and Holland Landing, council decided now was the time for the often talked about electoral review.

The decision during 2016 budget deliberation wasn’t without controversy. Both councillors James Young and Johnston voted against setting aside $30,000 for the review.

“I believe we should be doing some sort of a review,” Mayor Virginia Hackson said.

Councillors Roy-DiClemente and Joe Persechini were in favour of allotting $30,000 for the review.  While Young and Johnston voted against the motion, it doesn’t mean they weren’t in favour of a review.

The councillors said they just didn’t want to set aside money without first having a discussion at council about what it would encompass.

Johnston wasn’t certain that $30,000 was needed for a consultant to get council to add two more councillors.

Council hasn’t yet discussed the scope of the electoral review. It could look at only adding two councillors or it could also look at moving from an at-large voting system to a ward system.

“This is a huge discussion. I don’t want to lose this opportunity,” Roy-DiClemente said

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.

When discussion about an electoral review comes up next year, it will not be without vigorous debate. Battle lines are already being drawn in the sand. Johnston cited the 2010 referendum result as proof residents have little desire to change the electoral system, but Roy-DiClemente has made it known she wasn’t happy with how the question was phrased, not offering any alternative to the at-large system.

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 adding in benefits and car allowance.  Two more councillors would cost the town approximately $120,000 or about a 1 per cent tax increase at current population levels.