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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2002-10-09, Page 22Holland America Everience Traditional' Cruising on a Premium Cruisefinel SAVE 67% ms Veendam 7-day Western Caribbean January 25, 2003 from $ 869 Cdn pp • cat. N SAVE 55% ms S tatenda.m 10-day Mexican Riviera February 24, 2003 reg. 02392471 _from $15 89 Cdn pp • cat. N Paces are atty.& cagy p c based on double & mks.* pee ‘:narges Dep. taxes & govt bees addl. Subject lo awaikkbiity. Applicable to new bookings rely. Tem. & condtans as per Encore Cruises Etrodlure Raton may be withdrawn at eby lane. Carlson Wagonlit Ellison Travel Exeter 235-2000 or 1-800-265-7022 Goderich 524-8692 or 1-877-847-1272 Exeter open Saturdays and evenings by appointment www.ettravel.com Goderich open Saturday 9am-1 pm Tracy Spain Gotlei kth Vervt tweak pettieut tuutte auctian item, aotaitaite at Backstage Pass th Jestiral's Galaduction hors d'oeuvres, entertainment, gourmet feast, spa packages, weekend getaways, paintings and much more Tickets for dinner and auction $30. Call 523-9300 1-877-862-5984 PAGE 22.THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2002. C. Huron to look at voting boundary changes By David Emslie Clinton News Record Central Huron council will begin looking at changing municipal voting boundaries after exhausting every other option at Monday's meeting. After four public meetings. council on Monday night tried to settle the issue of fair representation among its three wards. During amalgamation discussions which brought together Goderich Twp. (Ward 1), Hullett Twp. (Ward 2) and Clinton (Ward 3), to form Central Huron, it was agreed each ward would have two representatives for the first term of council, and then a change would be made to reflect population bases. Discussion began Monday night on the motion to add one council representative to Ward 1, which has the largest population base in the municipality. "It's a compromise," said Ward 1 Councillor Laurie Cox, who seconded the motion, noting that this option would still not provide balanced representation across the municipality. He added that he would rather see a motion brought forward to elect all council members at large • from across the municipality, or . to change boundaries in the wards. "It still doesn't reflect all representation by population," Ward 3 Councillor Darren Stevenson said. Ward I Councillor Alison Lobb, who made the motion, said that this option would appear to meet with the wishes of the public who spoke at the meetings. In response to a comment from Ward 2 Councillor Marg Anderson that she would rather see boundaries changed than all councillors elected at large, Cox said that judging from- the public meetings, Hullett residents were interested in retaining borders and preserving the Hullett identity.. He added that was why he seconded the motion and was giving it his quasi-support, and stated he would vote in favour of changing boundaries. Lobb suggested that if boundaries Changed, there was the chance that Hullett's representatives might not in fact come from the former township. After some further discussion, Reeve Carol Mitchell said she was going t call for a vote on the motion. ''We have had a lot of good discussion on this," she said. "We have to make a decision...we have to move ahead." Cox noted that if the motion was defeated; then the representation sy'stem would remain under the last motion passed by council - that of the status quo. "I'm just saying I think we really need to put this to bed," Mitchell said. Cox said that the issue needs to be studied, because the whole idea of amalgamation was to cut down on council size and save funds. Commenting on the addition of a councillor, Lobb said, "1 think it would make the committee structure work well." Stevenson questioned whether council was trying to make the workload less. "One additional council person should -make the workload less," Mitchell said. The most base cost for having another council member, Stevenson said, would be an additional $5,500. The reeve said that with only one council member attending sub- committee meetings, the only real cost to be added would be at council meetings. Stevenson replied that in a perfect world, the only added cost would be at council. Tn order to achieve the true spirit of amalgamation, with representation by population, 'We have to add a member or change boundaries," Cox said. Lobb said that she did not liked the idea of changing boundaries, because there is too much history at stake. Ward 3 Councillor Bill Colquhoun said that if boundaries are changed, he can't see it being fair for either the urban or rural populations to be represented by someone who does not live in their area. When Cox noted that council has worked well together, and there has been no urban-rural split, Colquhoun agreed that this problem has not occurred with council, but it may down the road. Stevenson questioned why there should be a change in representation if council is working well together, and Cox, as in past meetings, said that the principal of democracy is one man, one vote. Colquhoun, breaking down the population figures, said that actual even representation would have Ward 1 with four-and-three-eighths council representatives, Ward 2 with one-and-three-quarters and Ward 3 with three representatives. Stevenson then suggested that based on those figures, the proper breakdown would be four councillors for Ward 1, two for Ward 2 and three for Ward 3, but he admitted that would create too large of a council. "I think people will accept three- two-two,"- Lobb said. "That the feeling 1 got." In the recorded vote to rescind the former motion of retaining the status quo, and to add one additional councillor to Ward I , the motion was defeated. Voting in favour were Cox, Lobb and Mitchell, while those voting against were Stevenson, Colquhoun, Anderson, Ward 2 Councillor Tom Duizer and Deputy- Reeve Bert Dykstra. With that motion defeated, Cox suggested resurrecting the motion to elect all councillors at large, and stated the only other scenario with council hadn't discussed was boundary adjustments. "I would want to see how bad we are slicing up Goderich Township," Colquhoun said. Cox replied that he does not see boundary changes as slicing up the municipality, as this change would only mean the ward representative may come from another area. "I don't think it destroys history." Lobb said she thinks the change would destroy history, but added that whatever choice council makes, there wouldn't be fair representation either way. Dykstra shared his belief that changing boundaries would be too work intensive. "There are only two left - boundary adjustments and at large," Mitchell said. The motion was made by Cox and seconded by Lobb to rescind the motion of retaining the status quo, and for the election in 2003 to have all councillors elected at large. This motion ended up in a tie, and was -therefore defeated. Voting in favour were Mitchell, Lobb, Dykstra and Cox, and against were Stevenson, Duizer, Colquhoun and Anderson. With that motion defeated, the reeve said she was stepped down from the chair to put a..final motion on the floor. Her motion rescinded the status quo motion, said that a boundary adjustment report would be brought to the next meeting of council, and that this would be the preferred option. Clerk Richard Harding explained that this motion meant that there would be boundary adjustments, but it did not lay out what those changes would be. When Mitchell said that by supporting this motion, council would be supporting boundary adjustments to reflect population, Colquhoun said council would be "blindly voting for boundary adjustments." Mitchell said that she had heard 100 times during discussions that people are in favour of boundary adjustments, and Lobb added that with adjustments, there will be representation by population, "so it's going to be fair." "If you support this, the boundaries are moving," the reeve. said. The recorded vote to change boundaries was carried in a five- three vote, with Lobb, Mitchell, Cox, Anderson and Stevenson voting in favour, and Duizer, Colquhoun and Dykstra voting against. ca 1•11W2p ON $3.00 THURSDAYS Drop into either of our offices any Thursday with your word classified (maximum 20 words) and pay only 53.00 (paid in advance). That's 51.00 off regular rates The Citizen II 1 top in between It II ,10 am - 3 pm li: October 10, 2002 to the - i 1 Brussels Post Office it 11-1 LIZ SHOLDICE / to Wish a 1 Happli Retirement t