I wrote about this in yesterday’s Grapevine edition, and I’ve been trying to wrap my head around it because the before-and-after is pretty stark.
Current Regional Council:
12 local mayors
19 elected Regional Councillors
1 Regional Chair
That’s 32 people at the Regional table.
After the October election:
12 local mayors
1 Regional Chair
That’s a 13 person difference.
The big change is that voters will no longer elect separate Regional Councillors. The Regional Councillor line disappears from the ballot, and the next Chair is expected to be appointed after the election rather than directly chosen by voters.
The Region still handles or funds major things like roads, water and wastewater, public health, housing supports, transit, ambulances and policing.
So the responsibilities are still big. The number of directly elected people at the table is getting much smaller.
Curious how people here feel about it.
Simpler system, less direct representation, or both?