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Council missed the mark with new ward boundaries it approved earlier this year, says Alan Hall, who is set to appeal the redrawn lines in front of the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) next week.
“I love this city and I want to make sure everyone is fairly represented,” Hall, a 19-year Guelph resident, said of what inspired his appeal. “You want to make sure that (new ward lines) provides a better balance. On top of that, you want to make sure you don’t cross any neighbourhood boundaries.”
In a 9-4 decision this past June, city council approved a series of ward boundary changes that maintain the existing six-ward system, using alternative boundaries, with two councillors elected from each. Hall filed an appeal on Aug. 10.
“I’m not arguing the numbers or the process at all. The process was great. The numbers are fine,” he said, suggesting council didn’t have a “viable option” to choose from. “I think the consultants did a good job … they did try to present alternatives, but they really weren’t reasonable.”
Hall said he comes at the issue with a background in maps and statistics, and previously worked for Elections Ontario. During his time there, he said he was seconded to work on provincial boundary reviews in Alberta and Nova Scotia.
“This is an area that I know fairly well,” said Hall, who lives in Ward 4.
Watson & Associates representatives told council last June that all of the options they presented are defensible if appealed.
The sticking point for Hall is the population distribution between wards.
“None of the three options (consultants) provided really balanced the population properly between northern and southern Guelph,” he said, adding the council-approved option keeps the two southern wards “far above the city average” and in 10 years Ward 6 would be back to where it is now, with a significantly larger population than the others.
“They’re not fixing any issues, they’re actually just kicking the can down the road.”
Current ward populations in the city vary by as much as 10,200 residents, roughly the population of Elmira.
Ward 6 is the largest, with 27,000 residents. For comparison, Ward 3 has 17,500 residents.
The council-approved boundaries also cut through several neighbourhoods, Hall added, noting that’s something his alternatives seek to avoid.
Ahead of the OLT hearing, set for Nov. 4 and 5, Hall has come up with three alternative ward maps he feels would better meet the needs of residents.
Two of them maintain six wards and one features eight, allowing for the city to “experiment” with having full-time councillors.
The first two alternatives closely mirror the current system, with two councillors elected from each ward, but with altered boundaries. Presumably those councillors would be part-time, Hall explained, noting the city’s remuneration review committee has been tasked with recommending full or part-time status for councillors as part of its work.
The third alternative also features eight wards, with one part-time councillor elected from each. In addition, four full-time councillors could be elected to represent two wards each, giving residents two councillors to approach if issues arise and keeping council capped at 13 (a mayor and 12 councillors).
“I think the eight wards better represent the city,” said Hall, who notes his appeal has nothing to do with determining full-time or part-time status but, “If you did want to experiment ... that would give you an opportunity to do that.”
City clerk Stephen O’Brien and Hall believe the appeal can be resolved quickly, no matter what the outcome, allowing whatever is decided to be in place for next year’s municipal election.
“We are anticipating a decision from the tribunal before the end of the year (the statutory deadline for ward boundary decisions to be in place in order to be in effect for 2022) and have communicated as such,” said O’Brien in an email. “That being said, the decision of the members and timing of that decision is at the discretion of the tribunal members.”
