File photo taken outside Lethbridge City Hall. (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Lethbridge City Council votes to form commission on possible ward system

Jun 8, 2022 | 11:10 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge City Council has voted in favour of creating a commission to study a possible Ward Electoral System in time for the 2025 municipal election.

A ward system would have Lethbridge divided into various electoral areas, with city council candidates running to represent residents in one of those specific areas, known as a “ward”.

During the 2021 municipal election, 55.69% of voters in a referendum question said they support using the ward system to elect City of Lethbridge councillors.

In late May, a committee recommended not forming a commission to look into establishing a ward system. Committee member Rajko Dodic said if the public knew how much it would cost to examine the possibility of implementing a ward system, the referendum result may have been different.

Dodic was one of the committee members who voted against creating the commission.

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Fellow member John Middleton-Hope voted in favour of recommending to create the commission, saying they need to respect the results of the referendum.

READ MORE: Lethbridge committee recommends not creating ward system commission

On Tuesday, June 7, 2022, council voted 6-3 in favour of forming a commission to undertake a detailed analysis and engagement to possibly implement the ward system.

Once formed, the commission of public members will review whether or not to recommend to council that a ward system be implemented.

The group’s timeline to compile a report of recommendations is suggested from November 2022 to November 2023. Council will then consider the commission’s suggestions.

Acting Mayor Belinda Crowson said, “examining a potential Election Ward System was identified by council in its Gateway to Opportunity 2022 Action Plan.”

“Through the process and report, council can then identify if this is something we want to move forward with,” she said.

The commission’s report is expected to be an extensive document that would include details of all analysis, engagement, options, rationale and recommendations including a ward system model, maps, populations and a draft of the Electoral Ward Boundary Bylaw.

Currently, the City of Lethbridge conducts ‘at-large’ elections where the electors of the whole city elect all eight Councillors for the entire city. If council decides to proceed with a Ward Electoral System, implementation would need to be in place well in advance of January 2025, when the process starts for candidates to file nomination papers for the 2025 Municipal Election.

Implementation would include the adoption of the new Electoral Ward Boundary Bylaw by Council, subsequent amendments to the Election Bylaw, education of the public on the new ward system and preparations and revisions for the 2025 Municipal Election.

As part of the motion on Tuesday, council approved a one-time budget of up to $297,000.