Councillor Calls for Fresh Look at Prince Edward County Council Size

Date: March 01, 2023

The composition of Prince Edward County council may once again be up for discussion. Hillier Ward Councillor Chris Braney introduced a notice of motion during Tuesday’s council meeting indicating his intention to request a formal review of the municipality’s current governance model. At present, council consists of 13 councillors and a mayor.

Braney plans to bring the motion forward at the March 14 council meeting, citing public interest expressed during the recent municipal election campaign.

“Concerns about the size and structure of council were raised repeatedly by residents across the County,” Braney said, noting that the last comprehensive review was completed in 2015.

If council agrees, the motion would instruct the Chief Administrative Officer and the municipal clerk to prepare proposed terms of reference for a potential third-party review. These terms would outline the principles, scope, timeline, and estimated costs associated with examining the current council structure.

Braney has also emphasized that any new review should incorporate and expand upon earlier work, including public feedback collected during the 2013 size-of-council review process, the Citizens’ Assembly, and the subsequent 2015 governance review.

The proposed report would also be expected to outline options for meaningful public consultation and community engagement. Braney is requesting that findings be presented back to council no later than June 13.

Prince Edward County last reduced the size of council in 2015, when membership dropped from 16 councillors to 13, in addition to the mayor. That restructuring also reduced the number of wards from 10 to nine by combining Bloomfield and Hallowell, which resulted in two fewer councillors. Sophiasburgh Ward was also reduced from two councillors to one.

At that time, multiple public meetings were held to gather resident input on governance options.

Prince Edward County became a single-tier municipality in 1998, following amalgamation of its former townships, villages, and town. Initially, the County had 10 wards mirroring the previous municipal boundaries. Provincial guidelines recommended one councillor per ward plus one additional councillor for every 2,500 residents. Following negotiations, the resulting structure was a council of 15 councillors and a mayor.

The question of council size has returned to the agenda repeatedly over the years, including:

• A 2013 Citizens’ Assembly led by Queen’s University political studies professor Jonathan Rose

• A non-binding referendum question during the 2010 municipal election, which saw a voter participation rate of 41.87 per cent

• A 2008 review by an ad hoc committee, followed by a petition and an Ontario Municipal Board hearing

Debate around representation and governance continues to resurface as population growth and community expectations evolve.

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