Sophiasburgh resident Dennis Fox voices his concerns on council’s decision to adopt the nine-ward plan Tuesday, January 26, 2015. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
After years of discussion, debate and public consultations Prince Edward County is downsizing the size of council and ward boundaries as the possibility of an Ontario Municipal Board hearing looms.
In a recorded vote 10 to 6, Tuesday night, council voted in favour of cutting council from 16 members to 13 councillors plus a mayor at large and reduce its current 10 wards to nine. Notable changes include Bloomfield merging with Hallowell with the reduction of two councillors from three, plus Sophiasburgh will be minimized to one councillor from two.
The plan developed by County resident John Thompson was on a short list of four that went before the public at a series of town hall meetings. Although it was not the one that garnered the most public support, it was the plan that was selected by council at a meeting in November, 2015.
Tuesday, Lynn Leavitt, 1st vice president of the Prince Edward Federation of Agriculture, addressed council accompanied by lawyer Paul Andrews of Menlove Law.
Leavitt told council that the federation applauds their decision to adopt the nine ward plan as it provides good attention to individual interests, acceptable representation by population and the balance between rural and urban will be maintained.
Andrews said, based on their review, the plan provides ample representation and he is confident that is would survive an appeal to the OMB as long as the County provides solid evidence backing up their decision.
The fact that Leavitt attended the meeting with legal council by his side ruffled a few feathers around the horseshoe.
Sophiasburgh councillor Kevin Gale said he has spoken to a number of farmers and residents in his ward that don’t support the nine ward plan and they didn’t know the federation was spending money on legal council. Later on, Gale put a motion on the floor for council to seek its own legal advice before approving the by-law. It lost in a split vote 8-8.
Dennis Fox was one of the Sophiasburgh residents Gale was referring to. When Fox addressed council he was quite clear about the fact he’s been following the issue closely since 2008.
“I am quite surprised by the Prince Edward Federation of Agriculture showing up here with a lawyer tonight,” said Fox visibly distraught. “They haven’t approached me or asked me if I want to lose one of my councillors. They owe us an explanation if not an apology. The OMB will take an interest in this because there is a lot of community interest.”
“You owe this community a good decision,” he said pointing at council. “This is not the right plan for the community.
Fox walked out of the meeting after council voted down the decision to seek legal advice.
In an interview after the meeting, Fox told Quinte News he doesn’t know if he will take it to the OMB but he hasn’t put it entirely out of his mind. He added he has heard from other County residents that they are going to appeal the decision it as well.
Mayor Robert Quaiff, who voted in favour of deferring the matter to seek legal advice, also voted down the nine ward plan said there could be an appeal but at this point he is not aware of one.
Now there will be a 45-day window during which the by-law is open to a challenge.
“If that happens then council will be in a position to defend it,” said Quaiff.
If all goes well, then this plan will be implemented for the next municipal election.
