The city is about to embark on a review that could see a change to the number of wards and the size of Guelph’s city council.
It could also result in the city’s councillors becoming full-time positions.
The 2018-2022 Council Composition and Employment Status Review (CCESR) was initially recommended to be done in the previous term of council but was rejected at budget time.
City staff is recommending it be done during this term.
“A comprehensive review of council composition and ward boundaries has not been conducted in several decades,” says a staff report heading to council’s Committee of the Whole meeting July 3.
“The CCESR may lead to a change in the number of Councillors on City Council, the number of Councillors elected per ward and/or the number and size of wards,” it says.
Any recommendations coming out of the review that are approved by council will take effect for the next term of council starting in 2022.
The review will look at the total number of councillors the city has, the method by which they are elected (at large vs. ward) and their employment status (full vs. part-time), the report explains.
“These recommendations may include either a decrease or increase in the total size of Council.”
The process will include a public consultation component.
The work will be done in three phases:
-
Governance review and environmental scan: to be completed and recommendations to council in the first quarter of 2020.
-
Ward boundary review: to be completed in the second quarter of 2020 with recommendations to council
-
Compensation and support review: to be completed in the first quarter of 2021.
The final report and recommendations to council are expected in the second quarter of 2021.
The review is estimated to cost $150,000.
