Part 2: Ballot Question Vote, Canopy Partnership, and Council Decisions Breakdown – 01/29/2026

The clearest “who voted which way” moment of the night came with the recorded vote on Motion 2026-30, about putting a question on the 2026 municipal election ballot: “Are you in favour of a third-party review of Council size and related ward boundaries?”

Councillors who voted in favour are Councillor St-Jean, MacNaughton, Nieman, Prinzen, Engelsdorfer, Grosso, Braney, Hirsch, and Mayor Steve Ferguson    while Councillor Janice Maynard, Pennell, Harrison voted opposed. In the end, the motion carried 9 to 3.

© PEC Council (YouTube)

View the entire PEC Council Meeting; or view our recap.

What people said during that debate

The discussion around the ballot question focused on cost, the divisiveness of the issue, how PEC is a “community of communities,” and the need for robust communications so residents understand what the ballot question means.

Janice Maynard (Ameliasburgh) raised concerns about spending money on the topic again, and also pressed staff on whether voters would have enough information before voting, including the real-world implications of council size changes and ward boundary changes. She voted opposed.

Chris Braney (Hillier) pushed back on the idea of trying to predict the outcome now and framed the ballot question as a way to let residents decide whether the County should hire a third party to do the work and bring recommendations back later. He voted in favour.

Phil St-Jean (Picton) referenced a past ballot question and framed this version as different, emphasizing that the public would be deciding whether a review should happen. He voted in favour.

The Quinte Conservation canopy partnership

The motion to approve a partnership with Quinte Conservation, with Quinte Conservation acting as the lead applicant for the FCM Green Municipal Fund program Growing Canada’s Community Canopies, was moved by Kate MacNaughton (Picton) and seconded by Councillor Maynard, and it carried.

That motion also included Council authorizing the Mayor to provide a letter of support, and directing staff to work with Quinte Conservation to finalize the partnership framework within approved budgets, with a report back on any specific commitments or milestones.

The Wellington Town Hall MOU and 2026 election office

The Wellington Town Hall Memorandum of Understanding motion was moved by Corey Engelsdorfer (Wellington) and seconded by Roy Pennell (Ameliasburgh), and it carried.

That decision covered three practical steps: approving the MOU with the Wellington Town Hall Foundation, dissolving the expression of interest working group, and approving Wellington Town Hall as the Municipal Election Office for 2026.

By-Law, Grant agreement and Bill 21

The temporary borrowing by-law report and by-law were moved by Corey Engelsdorfer (Wellington) and seconded by Phil Prinzen (Bloomfield/Hallowell), and carried.

The Fire Protection Grant agreement motion was moved by Councillor Prinzen and seconded by David Harrison (North Marysburgh), and carried.

The resolution supporting Bill 21, Protect Our Food Act, 2025 was moved by Councillor Prinzen and seconded by Councillor MacNaughton and carried.

One councillor stepped back due to pecuniary interest

There was also a clear “who did not vote” moment earlier in the meeting. Councillor Brad Nieman (Bloomfield/Hallowell) declared a pecuniary interest related to the Minutes of Settlement involving 1983358 Ontario Inc., because his daughter and son-in-law farm the parcel of land. Nieman refrained from participating and voting on that item.

The Minutes of Settlement motion itself was moved by Councillor St-Jean and seconded by Councillor Harrison, and it carried.

What this means for the locals

The ballot-question vote matters because it sets up a possible next step toward a third-party review that could eventually touch representation, ward boundaries, and how council is structured. It is not a change by itself, but it does move the question closer to the ballot.

For Wellington, the Town Hall decisions are more immediate and practical. Council approved the MOU framework and also approved Wellington Town Hall as the Municipal Election Office for the 2026 election, which is a direct local-use decision tied to that building.

For residents who care about tree planting and canopy, the Quinte Conservation partnership vote is an “open the door” move. Council authorized the Mayor to provide a support letter and told staff to work out the partnership details within approved budgets, with a report back on specific commitments or milestones. That means the local impact depends on what projects get developed and how the partnership gets structured next, but Council has formally said yes to being part of the application effort.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:22:12. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.