Lethbridge City Councillor Mark Campbell

By Lara Fominoff

City Council defeats motion to explore possibility of ward system

Nov 27, 2019 | 3:11 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The city’s Open and Effective Government Committee will not proceed with the creation of a Citizen’s Assembly to explore the possibility of creating a ward system.

At Monday’s meeting, Council voted 5-4 against the idea, with councillors Hyggen, Mauro, Carlson, Miyashiro and Mayor Chris Spearman voting against, while councillors Crowson, Parker, Coffman and Campbell voted in favour.

According to city administration, the cost of creating and maintaining the assembly for about six months would be around $80,000. However, several councillors noted that because they are in the middle of an Operational and Fiscal Review process, it wouldn’t be prudent to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a study that could simply be voted down by council anyway.

Campbell, who brought the resolution forward, says he understands the reasoning, and that’s how the democratic process works.

“With fiscal responsibility that we’re dealing with right now, the $80,000 I can certainly understand that that seems to be extreme into going into an election or… or at least into that – looking into what a ward system was all about.”

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Campbell says there was a recommendation brought forward in 2018 during Operating Budget deliberations suggesting that the Open and Effective Government Committee investigate the potential for either a ward system, continuing with the current “at large” system, or a hybrid of some sort.

A similar process on whether citizens believed councillors should continue to serve on a part-time basis, or whether they should fulfill their roles on a full-time basis took place in 2016, at a cost of $75,000.

At that time, according to administration, letters were sent out to about 5,000 randomly selected people, and 600 responded as interested in participating in a Citizen’s Assembly. 117 were willing to volunteer their time- and 36 people were eventually selected.

The assembly met three times and produced a final report in November 2016. This time those selected would have had input into the methods of electing their civic leaders.

Campbell points out there are cities smaller than Lethbridge that have wards.

“When we talk about when people run for council, I mean last election there was what…32 people? So, the question is, boy- that’s a lot of people that don’t really get heard. Whereas in a ward system you have fewer people running in the specific areas and perhaps have a better chance to have their opinions heard.”

He doesn’t rule out another motion coming forward at a later date, asking council to consider adding a ward system question on civic ballots.