Ward-boundary appeal heads to OMB prehearing

Two citizens fighting council’s decision

An appeal by two city residents of council’s proposed ward boundary changes will go to a prehearing Aug. 3.

Earlier this year, the city adopted a councillor-suggested plan to tweak existing Hamilton ward boundaries instead of a more substantial redrawing of the political map recommended in a $260,000 review.

The city’s own consultant warned he couldn’t support council’s proposal at the Ontario Municipal Board because it fails to address the concerns that spurred the review, like growing ward population disparities.

That was the main concern of Rob Dobrucki, one of two city residents to appeal the council-made plan.

“When you have three times as many people in one ward as in another, I think that is a fundamental undermining of democracy,” the Dundas resident said earlier this year in a delegation to councillors.

Ward 9 resident Mark Richardson submitted the other appeal and earlier wrote in The Spectator he did so because of council’s “reckless display of self-interest” in drawing its own political map.

The city’s consultant-led review, which included public consultation, had recommended two options to council: a new 16-ward map that added a ward on the populous Mountain as well as a redrawn 15ward map meant to better reflect population trends.

Council’s proposed map slightly adjusted the boundaries of existing wards but didn’t make major geographical or population-altering changes. Councillors originally voted 11-3 to adopt the council-drawn map, with Matthew Green, Aidan Johnson and Jason Farr opposed.

An OMB prehearing will be held at Dundas town hall Aug. 3 at 10 a.m.

The meeting will largely deal with procedural matters like identifying parties and issues in the appeal, discussing the possibility of a settlement and setting dates, if necessary, for a formal hearing.

The city needs a decision on new ward boundaries by the end of the year in order to have the electoral map changed in time for the 2018 municipal vote.

Council voted earlier this year to hire outside lawyers to fight the appeal.

Council has shown ‘reckless display of self-interest.’ MARK RICHARDSON WARD 9 RESIDENT