A motion to reduce the size of Thunder Bay city council will no doubt thrill many.
It will be presented by Westfort’s Kristen Oliver at Monday night’s meeting, who tells us she’ll ask the city clerk to report back with how a new council could look with possibly nine councillors, in time for the 2022 municipal election.
“I think it’s critical, in particular, if we should keep the current hybrid structure that we have with both Wards and At- large Councillors. Or should we move to a system using either ward representation or At-large councillors. I’ve heard both arguments over the past few years,” says Oliver.
The city councillor adds they will seek community input. But among her colleagues at the table, there appears to be an appetite, given the progression of time. “I think it’s also important to recognize that our advancement in technology and the dynamics of communications have evolved, and it’s creating many more ways to communicate, and representation needs have shifted.”
Oliver says this does not necessarily mean the cost of council will drop, in that a new structure could mean shifting of duties between people.
She acknowledges the leaders from years ago who wanted everyone fairly represented, which was not an easy thing to do.
“I think as times passed, rural areas have expanded and we’re growing our city. But at the end of the day, we’ve become one city, and as we celebrate our 50th anniversary, I believe it’s time we look at changing our governance structure,” says the city councillor.
