THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay voters will have a direct say on whether to reduce the size of city council and eliminate the ward system in 2022, if Coun. Peng You has his way.
The at-large councillor is seeking a report from city administration on the possibility of adding a plebiscite to the ballot in the next municipal election on Oct. 24, 2022.
“Are you in favour of a smaller city council, one made up of eight councillors elected at-large and one mayor elected at-large?” is the suggested wording in You’s motion, which will be debated at a council meeting on Monday.
If such a plebiscite passed, the change would take effect in the 2026 election.
Councillors already voted last year to conduct a review into the size and composition of council, but agreed to delay the project until 2023 at the recommendation of city clerk Krista Power, who warned there would be little time for appropriate consultation on any changes before the 2022 election.
That review would examine the experience of other cities, conduct public consultation, and consider changes like re-drawing ward boundaries.
You says the question should instead go straight to community members, who he believes have a strong desire to reduce council’s size.
“The public wants to begin the process of making our city hall operations smaller, more efficient, and less costly,” he said.
The issue has long been discussed, You said, expressing impatience at the prospect of delaying it further. With a new council in place in 2023, he fears momentum could be lost on the initiative.
Coun. Kristen Oliver, who proposed the review now approved for 2023, said it made little sense to rush into a major change without a more fulsome process.
“In my opinion, we’re putting the cart before the horse here,” she said. “I don’t support the motion.”
Oliver supports reducing the size of council, and believes there’s support for it in the community, but said research and consultation is needed before settling on a specific solution.
Many constituents say they value the ward system, for example, she said.
For You, there would be no better way to spark public engagement on the question than to put it on the ballot.
“A plebiscite question would allow the public to have a debate about the ward system, what they want,” he said. “I’d really like to see the citizens engaging with the city’s business.”
The last time the city held a plebiscite was in 1997, when it asked voters four questions, including on support for a charity casino, and a new, central hospital.
