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”
Tag: Democracy Guelph
Citizen Groups’ Poll on Council Make-Up: Keep 2 Councillors Per Ward
At a special council meeting on Thursday night, Guelph City Council will vote on their own make-up for the 2022-26 term. The staff recommendation is to change council composition to eight full-time councillors, one from each of eight new wards, plus the mayor, but two electoral reform advocacy groups want to pump the brakes on the council make-up in the wake of their own poll that confirms voters want the status quo. Continue reading “Citizen Groups’ Poll on Council Make-Up: Keep 2 Councillors Per Ward”
This Week in Press Releases – January 15-19, 2018
Every week, the City of Guelph and other groups send out notices to announce new events, imperatives, and information that you need to know. Here is this week in press releases. Continue reading “This Week in Press Releases – January 15-19, 2018”
Democracy Guelph Still Hopeful on Reform at Street Celebration
Earlier this summer, the House of Commons seemed to put the final nail in the coffin on electoral reform when the government voted against accepting the recommendations of the special Commons committee. Democracy Guelph is aiming to say though that the coffin hasn’t been nailed shut. In fact, there is no coffin. Continue reading “Democracy Guelph Still Hopeful on Reform at Street Celebration”
Electoral Reformers Try to Convince Longfield to Promote a Guelph-Made Proposal
Phase two of Democracy Guelph’s charm offensive to get Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to put electoral reform back on the national menu began tonight at eBar by appealing to a necessary member of Trudeau’s caucus, Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield. The official launch of Local Proportional Representation was meant to appeal beyond the audience of one though, it’s a kick-off to a city-wide campaign to make push reform forward by convincing people that LPR is the best way to make it happen. Continue reading “Electoral Reformers Try to Convince Longfield to Promote a Guelph-Made Proposal”
The “Made in Guelph” Electoral Reform Solution Workshopped
In the basement of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, as the music from the rehearsal organ echoed nearby, about two dozen people gathered to parse the so-called “Guelph Model”, an electoral reform proposal that’s meant the thread the eye of several different needles in order to meet a whole lot of different expectations. But does it work? Continue reading “The “Made in Guelph” Electoral Reform Solution Workshopped”
Protest Closes Cork Street and Pushes MP for Electoral Reform
Justin Trudeau may be over electoral reform, but nearly 30 communities across Canada today wanted the prime minister to know that they’ve not forgotten a promise he supposedly made over 1800 times. Here in Guelph, which has taken the idea of reform to heart, well over 200 people showed up in front of the constituency office of MP Lloyd Longfield to keep pushing him to push the issue in the House of Commons. Continue reading “Protest Closes Cork Street and Pushes MP for Electoral Reform”