Chatham-Kent Council Halts Review of Council Size and Ward Boundaries

Despite initial support for a third-party review of council size and ward boundaries, Chatham-Kent councillors have decided not to proceed further with the proposal. In February, a motion was passed to explore the possibility of adjusting the council’s composition and the delineation of ward boundaries. However, a recent recommendation to hire Strategy Corp for the review at a cost of $68,251, funded from the strategic development reserve, failed due to a tie vote.North Kent Councillor Rhonda Jubenville, who had initially proposed the motion for the review, expressed her disappointment and confusion over the council’s decision not to move forward. Jubenville highlighted that the recommendation was not intended to make final decisions on council size or boundaries but to explore options for potential changes.Chatham-Kent currently operates with 17 councillors distributed across six wards, in addition to the mayor’s position. Despite previous reviews conducted in 2015, 2011, and 2008, there have been no changes to the ward boundaries or the number of councillors since the municipality’s amalgamation.Jubenville argued that it was time to re-examine these issues, stating that the council owed it to their constituents to consider potential adjustments. However, concerns were raised by other councillors about the possibility of reducing the number of representatives, which could lead to diminished representation for residents.Census data indicates that Chatham-Kent’s population has grown by approximately two percent from 103,671 in 2011 to 104,316 in 2021. A staff report noted that this population increase has led to disparities in ward averages, particularly in Ward 6 (the former city of Chatham), Ward 2 (South Kent), and Ward 4 (North Kent). The report also mentioned that the upcoming official plan review for Chatham-Kent might necessitate expansions or adjustments to certain urban boundaries.