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Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, February 25, 2009 --Page 9
Huron County to rnaint*in current structure of 20 councillors
BY CHERYL
HEATH
Clinton News -
Record Staff
The status quo is
ago.
After months of
committee -level
discussions and
debate, Huron
County council
voted in favour of
maintaining its
current structure of
20 councillors.
Following a rec-
ommendation of
the county's com-
mittee, of the
whole, which
includes represen-
tation from all
nine -member
municipalities,
councillors grap-
pled with a propos-
al to hire a consult-
ant to discern the
ideal county -coun-
cil structure.
Some council-
lors expressed con-
cern with the plan
given that regard-
less of the consul-
tant's recommen-
dations, the deci-
sion ultimately
rests with council.
Coun. John
Bezaire (Central
Huron) questioned
whether a ,consul-
tant's report would
be submitted in
time to ensure
county council is
restructured in
time for ` the next
municipal election
in 2010.
Given the time
frame, says
Bezaire, it would
be "somewhat
foolhardy" to be
"plundering ahead"
with a hastily made
decision.
Warden Ken Oke
acknowledged
while - the ideal
goal is to have the
change enacted in
time for 2010; that
was only a guide-
line 'and changes
could instead be
implemented . for
the 2014 election.
"It wouldn't be
wasted - money;
says Oke. - "If we
run out of time, we
run out • of time."
Coun. Ben Van
Diepenb"eek
(Ashfield Colborne
-Wawanosh)
favoured foregoing
• the consultant and,
instead,. putting
forward two
options to member
municipalities to
consider; either a
6,000 -minimum
population for an
additional council-
lor for each munic-
ipality or one rep-
resentative per
municipality..
"If we want to
drag our heels- for
the next . four or
five years, we can
hire a. consultant,"
said Van
Diepenbeek.
In speaking
against hiring a
consultant, Coun.
Max " Demaray
(Howick) said con-
sultants have- been
used in the past
with limited suc-
cess:
"Will you follow
what he says if he
says more council-
lors are neces-
sary?" asked
Demaray.
Coun. Bernie
MacLellan (Huron
East) says an ideal
scenario is to have
two councillors
with weighted
votes, per munici-
pality.
MacLellan adds
the 6,000 popula-
tion cut off bene-
fits some munici-
palities more than
others.
Coun. Neil
Vincent . (North
Huron) notes,
however, that the
6,000 figure is
'deemed to be the
most just since
each of the mem-
ber municipalities,
except one, would
be properly repre-
sented within a two
per cent margin.
coin. Bill
S ieinon (Huron
East) adds his
voice to the chorus
of those preferring
to seek out input
from the lower
tiers rather ; than
hire a consultant.
"It's money for
something we have
to do .. ourselves
anyhow," he says.
In speaking in
favour of consult-
ants, Coun. Bert
Dykstra (Central
Huron) says the
bonus is they
Photo by Pat Livingston
The Lucknow and District kinsmen provided a venue for. local
talent to showcase their talents, when the organisation spon-
sored a Family Day Music Jam, on Feb. 15. Seen here from left
to right are cousins Melissa Atkinson and Justin Atkinson.
would report back
fairly quickly and
council would be
able to further dis-
cuss the issue.
Dykstra says turn-
ing the options
over to the lower
tiers to debate is a
questionable move'
given the .county
council is in a lead-
ership role.
"We're sitting
here. -We know
what will work,
whatever the num-
ber is," says
Dykstra:
In further push-
• ing against the
6,000 figure,
Coun. MacLellan
suggests council-
lors are speaking in
favour of the cutoff
since it is the "eas-
iest number to put
through:" That, he
says, is not a good
enough jreason. He
adds that it's likely
the lower tiers win
only want to
ensure they have
much representa-
tion as possible.
The warden
notes urban centres
often: have ,council-
lors representing
up to 60,000 peo-
ple, which is the
county's approxi-
mate population.
"Here we have
(20) people repre-
senting 60,000 and
saying " it can't be
done," says Oke.
"We have to start
looking at it objec-
tively."
In a recorded
vote, 12 council-
lors voted against
hiring a consultant
while seven were
in favour of the
move. One coun-
cillor, Joseph Seili
(Huron East), was
absent.
Following the
motion's defeat,
Coun. Bill Dowson
(Bluewater) sug-
gested sending the
issue along to the
lower tiers for fur-
ther discussion as
per Van
Diepenbeek's rec-
ommendation,
which became a
motion.
Coun. Deb
She w f e l
(Goderich) noted a
number of regions,
including Bruce
and Perth counties,
have .successfully
reduced the num-
ber of representa-
tives at the table.
"We're all sort of
protecting our-
selves," says
Shewfelt.
Meanwhile,
Coun. Bezaire
argues the point of
the restructuring
process is to figure
out the best possi-
ble setup for repre-
sentation and not
to "make an arbi-
trary number."
Meanwhile,
Coun. Dave
Johnston
(Bluewater) 'sup-
ported ate notion
of allowing the
lower tiers` to have
some input.
"This has to go
to the public and
there must be a
rationale," he says.
V a
Diepenbeek's
motion met with
resounding defeat,
prompting the war-
den to proclaim:
"OK, what we
need now is a deci-
sion."
Vincent stepped
,forward with a
motion to maintain
county council at
its current level,
which allows for
an additional min-
; chlor per addition-
al 4,000 municipal
residents.
That motion
resulted in a nine -
to -nine tie, with
the warden left
with the task of
casting the decid-
ing vote.
Continued on page
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