By Staff
September 24th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
City hall has announced that work to review the composition of Burlington City Council and the city’s ward boundaries is set to begin this fall. The review will assess how well the current council size and structure, and ward boundaries work for our community.
All residents and Burlington business owners are invited to share their input through a series of upcoming public engagements. Information about the review and opportunities to be involved are available on getinvolvedburlington.ca/boundaryreview.
What is a council composition and ward boundary review?
A council composition and ward boundary review helps plan for the future. The reviews ensure voters are represented equally in the local government decision-making process.
The last ward boundary review for Burlington was done in 2005, when the city’s population was 139,000. Since this time, the city’s population has grown to approximately 186,948 (2021 Census). Over the next 25 years, the city will continue to grow. Approximately 265,000 people are expected to call Burlington home by 2051.
- Council composition reviews look at the size and structure of City Council. They determine if the current number of councillors and the coverage they provide are adequate for our community.
- Ward boundary reviews are typically undertaken every three to four election cycles (12 – 16 years) to look at the boundaries of a city’s wards. Factors, such as population, future growth, geography, community history, community interests, and minority representation, are also considered in the division of wards.
Public engagement and Council decisions
Public engagement and Council decisions will happen in two phases for the review. In phase one, residents will be asked for their input on council composition. Input gathered from the community will be used to help inform a report that will go to City Council for their consideration in December 2024.
In phase two, public engagement will focus on ward boundaries. This phase is anticipated to start early in 2025. More information will be shared on getinvolvedburlington.ca/boundaryreview later this year.
Council composition public engagement opportunities
- Monday, Oct. 7 – 9:30 a.m., presentation at Committee of the Whole, Council Chambers, 426 Brant St.
- Monday, Oct. 7 – 7 to 8:30 p.m., Tansley Woods Community Centre, 1996 Itabashi Way
- Wednesday, Oct. 9 – 7 to 8:30 p.m., Central Arena, 519 Drury Ln
- Thursday, Oct. 10 – 1:30 to 3 p.m., Mountainside Recreation Centre, 2205 Mt. Forest Dr.
- Tuesday, Oct. 15 – 7 to 8:30 p.m., virtual public meeting
- Wednesday, Oct. 23 – 7 to 8:30 p.m., Haber Community Centre, 3040 Tim Dobbie Dr.
Residents and business owners can also share their feedback through the council composition and ward boundary survey, available on getinvolvedburlington.ca/boundaryreview starting Oct.7.
This may be the most significant and consequential review conducted by the Meed-Ward administration in its six years in office. Its import for the future of the City’s governance and its adoption of true open government practices is huge. Is this Council truly committed to the Review? I highly doubt it since it can only reduce their ‘take-homes’ with no real decrease in workload; they do as much as they are willing to do now and the workload is such that much is left undone. If done properly, the Review should increase the overall size of Council and rationalize the functions of its members. Ego-satisfying Deputy Mayor positions are unlikely and constraints to existing influence and span of control most probable. Will this group actually contemplate necessary change and personal constraints even though such are arguably in the best interests of the City and its citizens? Currently, Burlington has the highest ratio of Council members to population of any Tier 2 municipality in Ontario – approximately 1:30K. In other words, only seven people have last line influence over the lives of almost 200,000 people with future year population projections far beyond that number. We must increase the size of Council and modernize its functions. There are too few checks and balances and too much latitude for decision-making contrary to the public’s fundamental wishes and core needs.
I will participate as often and as openly as I can in this exercise despite my skepticism that there is any real Council sincerity involved. How many times have we, as Burlington citizen’s, participated in worthy but empty exercises? Conversely, how many times have we been unable to participate or only after the real decisions were made and fixed? Still, if I don’t put my voice forward, then I have no legitimate right to criticize and complain. And, in that vein, I will be very interested in how BRAG responds to this. Open government, strong mayor powers etc., is one of their primary focus areas. Will they develop a well-articulated platform for how City governance should be structured in the future or will they remain a ‘one trick, fiscal responsibility pony’.