Clarence-Rockland gets one more vote at counties council table

For the past four years, the City of Clarence-Rockland has been fighting to have fairer representation when making decisions around the council table.

At the regular counties council meeting, held Tuesday, January 26, the eight mayors had a lengthy discussion about doing just that - giving the largest municipality in the counties an extra vote during recorded votes held at the council table.

Chief administrative officer (CAO) St­éphane Parisien presented a report on the matter to councillors, which noted that, at its December 15 meeting, council asked him to review the weighted voting formula the counties currently uses during recorded votes.

"This matter was presented to council in June 2006," Parisien noted. "At that time, I recommended that council maintain the status quo - the maximum allowed votes per member representing municipalities with 12,000 electors or more was left at five."

The CAO explained that municipalities with 3,000 or less electors carry one vote; 3,000 to 6,000 electors carry two votes, 6,000 to 9,000 electors carry three votes, 9,000 to 12,000 electors carry four votes and municipalities like Clarence-Rockland, which has more than 12,000 electors, carry five votes.

Curently, Hawkesbury has three votes, Casselman has one vote, Alfred-Plantagenet has three votes, Champlain has three votes, East Hawkesbury has two votes, The Nation has three votes and Russell has four votes.

Because the City of Clarence-Rockland now has 15,000 electors, it was felt the municipality's representation during recorded voting was inadequate. Mayor Richard Lalonde has long felt the municipality should carry six votes, as opposed to the five in carries now.

"I surveyed CAO colleagues in the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus in upper-tier municipalities and learned that formulas are very different from one another," Parisien stated in his report. "The bottom line is that the recorded vote registers members' votes, either in favour of or against and is recorded in meeting minutes. Historically, such a vote was often associated with important decisions and recorded names of members who were absent without just cause. These days, this vote is still exercised for important decisions and a good number of surveyed municipalities do not give it weighted representations - each member is awarded only one vote."

The Nation mayor Denis Pommainville said over the years, it has become evident that Clarence-Rockland is frustrated with the current system.

"I, along with my municipality, feel that it's fair that Clarence-Rockland has a greater representation at the council table," he commented. "(Its) population is growing and its economy carries weight."

Champlain mayor Gary Barton said he felt recorded votes served no real purpose at the counties table.

"The only time we ask for a recorded vote is when we want others to know how someone voted," he stated. "That's the only reason I ever asked (for a recorded vote). Recorded votes haven't amounted to much. I'd like to know how many recorded voted we've even had in the last four years and what did they accomplish?"

Before the restructuring of the counties recorded voted system can take place, Parisien noted, there are several steps that must be taken first, including giving notice to the public and hosting public meetings.

At the counties level, he explained, a majority of councillors must agree to the restructuring. Next, a resolution would need to be passed by five of the eight municipalities represented at the table.

Finally, Parisien said, the population of the five municipalities supporting the restructuring would have to form the majority of the population of the UCPR.

Additionally, Parisien said because 2010 is an election year, no change can be made to the recorded voting system for four years.

"According to the municipal act, the change cannot take place during an election year," he explained. "So, whatever we decide now, nothing will change until 2014."