Cty_governance_09-49

Jeff Green | Dec 10, 2009

As expected it will come down to the always-fractious South Frontenac Council.

The bylaw to expand Frontenac County Council from four to eight members and grant two votes to the mayor of South Frontenac was easily ratified by the councils of the townships of North and Central Frontenac this week.

By the terms of the Ontario Municipal Act, the change needs to be approved by county council (which happened on November 30) and must also be approved by a majority of member councils representing a majority of the population.

Since 58% of Frontenac County’s population lives in South Frontenac, the final outcome will be determined when the bylaw comes up for ratification at the South Frontenac Council meeting on December 15.

Even though the proposed composition would give South Frontenac Township 33% of the votes on county council in place of the 25% it has now (one vote in a four-member council), the change has not been universally popular among South Frontenac councilors.

On May 19, South Frontenac Council narrowly endorsed a proposal that would have created a nine-member county council with 3 representatives from South Frontenac.

However, in September, South Frontenac Council put forward an alternate proposal at a committee meeting, a five-member county council with two members from South Frontenac.

And then in October, South Frontenac County endorsed their original proposal from May 19.

The only certainty going into next week’s meeting is that the county governance debate will be put to bed by the vote, one way or another.