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Weighted rank breaks tie as Simcoe County council approves chopping size to 17

Posted January 14, 2025​

The first leg of a required triple majority was completed this morning when Simcoe County councillors reversed course from last October and approved reducing their number of seats from 32 to 17, including appointment of a full-time Warden.

While the straight up vote was tied at 16, and would normally be a negative result, Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin requested a recorded vote which uses a weighted ranking - allocated by eligible electors to each member municipality - which made it 88 to 57 in favour of the size reduction.

Last fall a similar measure failed, and in fact rose to 33 members with the appointment of a full time Warden. At the following meeting, councillors voted themslelves a 167 per cent salary increase phased in over three years. But it was back on this morning's agenda via a notice of motion to reconsider by Bradford Mayor James Leduc, largely connected to the salary increase.

Several amendments were put on the table, including by New Tecumseth Deputy Mayor Stephanie MacLellan who moved the Warden should be elected at-large. It was defeated because of concerns including advantages to candidates from larger municipalities. Wasaga Beach Deputy Mayor Tanya Snell suggested it would be "irresponsible" to have the Warden position at-large because those voters wouldn't be paying attention beyond their local elections. Current Warden Basil Clarke opposed worried the winning candidate "may be working on behalf of different entities, let's just leave it at that."

Collingwood Deputy Mayor Tim Fryer was unsuccessful to have County councillors appointed by their resepective local council rather than the Mayor as default.

Wasaga Beach Mayor Brian Smith said he opposed reducing council to 16 because of fears the County could be dominated by six of the larger municipalities.

 

"We're going down some very unknown and dangerous roads," said Smith. "That is by going to 16, six individuals, predominantly the southern end of the County can sway the vote. I also think this is somewhat of a caution flag for me."

Bradford Mayor Leduc called that line of argument "misinformation on the table."

 

"We're five in the south, we change nothing, we change no voting, we still only hav 36 per cent of the weighted vote. The north gets 63 per cent of the vote," he said. "I want to hear from the residents. I want to hear from the councils. Most of our decisions have to be down to financial. Is it financially good for us, or bad for us, in my mind it will be good for us. We are just an upper and lower tier government. To me this is step one in moving forward and letting our residents tell us what they want. Bradford won't carry the full boat. We're not that large in Simcoe County."

 

Innisfil Mayor Dollin said there shouldn't be concerns "about the optics or the suggestion some voting bloc would occur."

 

"We take an oath to support Simcoe County, when we sit at this table," she said, "We take an oath to do what's best for the County. And, when have you ever seen councillor Leduc and I agree on anything?" 

The County has until the end of the year to hold public meetings and then secure support from a majority of the lower tier (9 out of 16); and the majority of lower tiers in favour representing a majority of all electors in Simcoe County, before it can take effect. Anything short of the triple majority would keep the status quo.

 

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New Tecumseth Free Press Online - Madhunt.com