Lethbridge city council has voted 7-2 to rescind the decision to explore a ward system in Lethbridge after further discussion with the community.
During the October 2021 municipal election, Lethbridge residents were not only asked to vote for their elected representatives, but also faced two referendum questions.
One of those questions asked: “Do you support using a ward system to elect city councillors (other than the mayor) starting with the 2025 municipal election?”
Results showed 55.69 per cent of voters said “yes.” A ward system is different from an at-large system, in that the city is divided into multiple sections and councillors are chosen by electorates in those areas.
Despite this majority vote, council passed a motion Tuesday to scrap that examination process.
The motion stated the “existing model may not produce enhanced representation, greater voter turnout or a more effective and efficient process.
“The current process will cost a substantial sum of money to develop and implement and is unlikely to have sufficient support of council thereby creating greater confusion and expending valuable resources in an attempt to implement a largely unwanted model.”
According to the city, the implementation of the review would have cost around $300,000 in one-time funding, which council approved in June 2022.
“We’ve most recently had additional polls that indicate that 54 per cent of the population who responded to the survey indicated that they were not in favour of reviewing the ward system,” said councillor John Middleton-Hope.
“A preponderance of citizens who have taken the time to connect with council members have indicated they are concerned about this process going forward.”
Councillors Belinda Crowson and Jenn Schmidt-Rempel took issue with the motion, believing it disregards the vote.
“It’s all about respecting the wishes of the voters from that October 2021 election, that’s where I come from,” Schmidt-Rempel explained.
“Giving that opportunity to our community, forming a ward commission and giving them the ability to have a say in how our elected representatives are elected is very important to me.”
What about a precinct system instead?
On Tuesday, Councillor Middleton-Hope put forward a proposal for a so-called “precinct” system instead, which he believes would still address residents’ wishes for some kind of electoral reform without the same cost associated with the ward review.
“This isn’t just a model that’s been thrown together, it’s actually looked at some fairly comprehensive data; it is quite candidly a model that hasn’t been used in Alberta before,” he said.
It would see councillors elected using the at-large system (all residents can vote for all councillors), but would also see the city split into four quadrants, and councillors would rotate as representatives of those quadrants over their four-year term.
The goal is to provide a hybrid between the two models to help provide better connection and accountability.
“I think it gives us an opportunity to really hear and reflect on the interests and the concerns, and the wishes and hopes and aspirations for citizens across the city.”
The community will have the opportunity to come forward and share their feelings on the precinct system when it moves to the governance standing policy committee sometime in the new year, but Schmidt-Rempel still voiced her disappointment with the change.
“In my opinion, we don’t have the community consultation that I would’ve liked to have seen come forward with the ward commission,” she said. “We are now, as council, telling our voters how they are going to vote.
“I will certainly support the decision of council that came through today, because that is the decision of council.”
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