Perhaps it was the Blue Jay effect but attendance at the first two public meetings for a ballot question that may open the door to a resized council and new ward boundaries has been dismal.

Only a handful of residents turned up to a public meeting in Ameliasburgh on October 23 and about the same number of interested voters were in Wellington October 28. These meetings are a mandatory prerequisite to any ballot question according to Ontario’s Municipal Elections Act.

The session at the Highline Hall took all of 15 minutes and councillors outnumbered attendees about 2:1. Interim County Clerk Victoria Leskie walked the few souls looking on from a near empty gallery through both the process to date and what is in the offing if Council moves forward with a bylaw that puts a question on the ballot.

Given the public’s apparent apathy (if these meetings are any gauge), a majority of council might decide to punt the idea of a third party governance structure and ward boundary review into the 2030’s.

Ms. Leskie made sure at the top of Tuesday’s meeting that this travelling governance road shows will ultimately determine if the yes/no question ‘Are you in favour of a third party review of council size, and related ward boundary changes?’ is the right question.

Heading Them Off At The Pass

The Clerk also headed off a few potential queries that came up in Ameliasburgh including the need for a third party to conduct the review. Estimated costs for this plebiscite-driven exercise to reach a conclusion are between $60-100,000.

“Why do we have to bring someone else in to do this? Well, it’s not absolutely necessary that we do that, but it’s pretty important that we have an impartial objective review,” she explained. It should be free from bias or the perception of bias. It’s also a very specialized expertise most municipal organizations don’t have in house.”

Council might adjust the language based on what they hear in these sessions but the next step will be to table and pass a bylaw ahead of the March 1, 2026 deadline. There’s an appeal process for the public that’s open for 20 days following the passage of any such plebiscite bylaw.

Then, the public education portion commences. There was single query arising from the gallery. A member wondered how a potential voter might be informed of the ramifications of the question.

Ms. Leskie answered a public information campaign would be launched through the County’s website as well as traditional and social media. This campaign would involve posting Frequently Asked Questions. Ms. Leskie recalled the 2010 municipal election and the last time there was a ballot question on council size.

“The candidates themselves were really helpful in getting that information out there. We provided them with information sheets and fact sheets and so they spread that information around,” she added.

What Happens Next

In order to trigger a mandatory third party third party review, 50 percent of the electorate must cast a vote in the 2026 election. Then, more than 50 percent of those voters must vote yes to the question. Ms. Leskie admitted 50 percent is a high threshold however local turnout in the 2022 municipal election was 48 percent. “It’s not impossible to reach the threshold.”

“If the threshold is met, the incoming council is obliged to go ahead and act on the results, she said. “If it’s a non-binding result where we have a clear answer but only 48 percent of the voters turned out, further action will be at the discretion of the new council, whether or not they want to go ahead with the third party review.”

Council hosts another public meeting at the Athol Town Hall, Monday November 3 at 6 p.m. They wrap up the series on November 18 at Shire Hall at 6 p.m.