The new 6-ward map of Guelph passed this summer is the map we’re going to use for the 2022 Municipal Election. This verdict came down Tuesday from the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), which dismissed an appeal of the new map approved by council this past June, with the Tribunal’s Vice-Chair saying that due diligence was done, and that the new map “achieves effective representation.” for the city. Continue reading “The New Ward Map? OLT Says Let it Be”
In the second day of hearings at the Ontario Land Tribunal, the City of Guelph presented its last witness and both parties made their final arguments. We now wait for a decision as to whether or not the OLT will uphold the map, ask for a change, or get rid of it altogether, and they have until the end of the year to render a decision in time for next year’s election. So how was day #2 of the hearing? Read on… Continue reading “RECAP: It’s Now Up to the OLT on Guelph’s New Ward Map”
It was just a few months ago that Guelph City Council approved the new ward boundaries for the city starting in 2022. So that’s that, right? Actually, no. One Guelph resident filed an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) on the basis that the new six-ward map does not offer fair representation to all Guelph residents, especially the ones in the south end. How does the OLT feel on the subject? Check out day one coverage below. Continue reading “RECAP: The OLT Hears Arguments Against the New Ward Boundaries”
Back in June, after 30 years and months of debate, Guelph City Council approved an adjusted six-ward map that will go into effect for the 2022 Municipal Election. But now there’s a wrinkle in the form of an appeal, one Guelph resident has applied to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) to contest the new ward boundary map, which might delay it’s implementation before next year’s local election. Continue reading “At Least One Appeal Filed Over Guelph’s New Ward Boundary Map”
In the second half of June, much of the business of city council focused on itself. There were back-to-back meetings about the new ward maps and council composition, and then, at the end of the month, it was a triple header with shareholder meetings for Guelph holding corporations and a complex series of actions at the regular council meeting. Here’s the rest of the council recap for the month. Continue reading “This Month at Council Part 2: New Ward Maps and Accessible Voting”
Tonight, decisions will be made!! You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of today’s council meeting, you can follow along on Twitter, or follow the tweets below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for June 23, 2021”
What’s city council going to look like in 2022 and beyond? Let’s start with the delegates! You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of today’s council meeting, you can follow along on Twitter, or follow the tweets below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for June 21, 2021”
For the past 30 years or so Guelph has had 12 part-time city councillors. During that time the population of Guelph has increased from roughly 88,000 to 135,000, an almost 50 per cent increase. As such the demands on the 12 councillors have increased significantly and any councillor will tell you it is no longer a part-time commitment that is required to do the job properly. It is expected (and legislatively required by the province) that Guelph grows another 50 per cent to about 200,000 by 2050. These facts among others required the City to conduct a Council Review. Continue reading “OP-ED: Democracy Guelph Still Not Dissuaded from Supporting 12-Person Council”
Guelph City Council meets again to talk about themselves, and this time they will have to make a decision. Back in November, council deferred on a final decision about their future make-up so that the consultants could get more input from the community, but the time has come to redraw the map and decide how many people are going to be around the new horseshoe come 2022. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the June 21 Meeting?”
It’s taken months of research, hours of collecting residents’ feedback, and at least one council meeting with no firm decision, but the City of Guelph is one step closer to a redrawn ward map system. City staff are now presenting the final four options to the general public for one last round of consultation before council makes the final, final decision. Continue reading “The City Reveals the ‘Final Four’ in Ward Map Redrawing Madness”
Guelph Politico 