After a spirited debate on Monday, December 16, 2024, Municipality of Chatham-Kent Council will continue to consider options for Council size and ward boundary changes in the early part of 2025.
West Kent Councillor Melissa Harrigan entered a successful motion, confirming the 15-member council option “in principle” from the Strategy Corp report.
Harrigan’s motion also directs Strategy Corps to return to Council with a report on ward boundaries in the proposed wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, for the purpose of considering the impact of an “at large” urban ward, located in the city of Chatham.
Earlier in the meeting, Harrigan had entered a motion to move forward with a 13-member Council, which was the preferred recommendation from the consultant.
However, this vote failed by a vote of 7 to 10.
The third option offered by Strategy Corps was to continue as an 18-member council, with slightly adjusted boundaries surrounding Wallaceburg and Chatham.
This option remains on the table for Council moving forward.
Sabine Matheson, of StrategyCorp, provided a presentation to Council on Monday night.
In her final report, Matheson and StrategyCorp listed three options as acceptable.
“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 said their key finds, included:
– 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.
Read StrategyCorp’s full report, here.
Read the corresponding report from Judy Smith, director of Municipal Governance, here.
Smith said during the meeting on Monday if Council made a decision on any changes in the early past of 2025, there would be enough time to implement the changes for the 2026 Municipal election.
The topic is set to be before Council at their next meeting, scheduled for January 27, 2025.
