After embarking on a Ward Boundary and Council Composition Review, a hired consultant says reducing the size of Municipality of Chatham-Kent Council to 13 is the preferred option.
Sabine Matheson, of StrategyCorp, is set to provide a presentation on their final report to Council at their upcoming meeting on Monday, December 16, 2024.
In a corresponding staff report, Judy Smith, director of Municipal governance, is recommending Council choose an option and direct administration to bring a by-law of that option to the January 27, 2025 Council meeting for voting.
In their final report, StrategyCorp lists three options as acceptable, with 12 Councillors and one Mayor being their preferred choice.
“In our view, while each of the preferred options involves tradeoffs, we believe that each are acceptable, preferable to the status quo, and would pass the ‘Effective Representation’ test,” StrategyCorp officials said in their report.
StrategyCorp says key finds, include:
– Voter Parity: Each of the preferred options fall well within acceptable ranges for parity in 2024, 2026, and 2030.
– Communities, Boundaries & Communication: All the recommended options effectively consider communities and diversity of interest; physical and natural features; and means of communication and accessibility. Option 13B-V2 is slightly preferable to both Options 15C-V2 and 18A.
– Overall Effective Representation: Each of the preferred options deliver effective representation and improve on the parity between Chatham and county wards. Options 13B-V2 and 15C-V2 are both preferred over 18A as they reduce the variation in councillors per ward.
– Council Size: As discussed in our Interim Report (September 23/2024) Chatham-Kent is an outlier among Ontario municipalities with its 18-member Council. We would recommend that Council take this opportunity in its history to reduce its size to 13, and continue its evolution from the amalgamation of 1996.
“While any of the three recommended options would deliver improved effective representation for the residents of Chatham-Kent, StrategyCorp prefers option 13B-V2,” the consultant says in their report.
Specifically, StrategyCorp says option 13B-V2, would:
– Deliver effective representation, having regard to: Parity today, parity in 2026 and 2030, and have boundaries that respect community of interest, prominent physical features and patterns of transportation and communication
– Be superior to the status quo and the other options considered
– Enable a reduction in the size of council.
StrategyCorp says the preferred option would alter the ward boundaries across Chatham-Kent.
“The option consists of 10 wards and with the Mayor would result in a Council of 13, where one or two Councillors would be elected per ward. Boundaries were adjusted to improve voter parity in Ward 2 and Chatham and Wallaceburg boundaries have been modified based on feedback for consultations,” StrategyCorp officials say.
Read StrategyCorp’s full report, here.
Read Smith’s report, here.
Monday’s Council meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Civic Centre in Chatham.
