Published on Wednesday, 28 June 2017 at 12:00:00 AM
As part of getting the City’s finances back on track City of 91Ï㽶µ¼º½ Mayor Shane Van Styn says there will be a review regarding the current number of Councillors.
“In order to review the number of Councillors as well as review our current wards, we will have to do some extensive community engagement to ensure the outcomes are what the community need,” he said.
“It is a requirement that the City reviews all wards by 2019 but it is not something that can happen overnight; it is a lengthy statutory process.”
As a result of two vacancies being kept open until the October council elections, Council is currently running with 12 Councillors as opposed to a full complement of 14 Councillors who represent seven different wards.
Mayor Van Styn said it was important that the community still felt they were being properly represented.
“We need to make sure the community are still being heard and that’s why no decision will be made without our community being consulted,” he said.
“A reduction in the number of Councillors will definitely ease budget pressure and it’s just one more thing we are reviewing to ensure we keep our rates low and our finances on track.
“There has been a large reduction in staff numbers at the City since 2015 and it makes sense that we would also evaluate numbers on Council as well.”
Mayor Van Styn estimates that for every single reduction in Councillor numbers, the City would save around $30,000.
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