Partridge rallying support for boundary battle
Councillor says OMB-imposed changes could stir up bad feelings about amalgamation and plunge the city into ‘divisiveness’
Coun. Judi Partridge is calling on Flamborough residents to speak out against changes to Hamilton’s ward boundaries at an upcoming Ontario Municipal Board hearing.
Partridge is warning her Ward 15 (east Flamborough-Waterdown) constituents that potential changes to the boundaries tweaked by council will have a “negative impact” and give urban areas an “extra vote” over rural communities.
In a posting on her Facebook page, Partridge says she’d like to have at least 10 to 15 Flamborough residents preregistered to speak and another 30 or more attend a special Oct. 24 OMB hearing on the issue.
In an interview, Partridge downplayed the oppositional nature of her rallying cry and insisted that her main goal is to “engage” residents in an important process that’s largely been ignored by the public.
But Partridge notes OMB-imposed changes could upset the balance of power between inner city and suburban councillors, create new political divisions, and stir up bad feelings about amalgamation.
“We’ve come a long way from that and the one thing I don’t want to see happen is for the city to fall into that divisiveness.”
The stage for this battle between the status quo and change was set earlier this year when council ignored a $260,000 consultants’ review, which recommended substantial alterations to the city’s electoral map, in favour of its own minor adjustments.
In response, two city residents appealed to the OMB, arguing council’s decision was fuelled by political self-interest and failed to address growing population disparities between wards.
Councillors Matthew Green, Jason Farr and Aidan Johnson voted against the council-drawn map, which the city’s own consultants warned they couldn’t defend at the OMB.
The rejected consultants’ report recommended two options: a 16-ward map that added a new ward on the heavily populated Mountain and an extensively redrawn 15-ward map intended to better reflect population trends.
Both those options signalled unwelcome changes to suburban councillors.
According to Coun. Robert Pasuta, who represents rural Ward 14 (west Flamborough), the 16-ward option would not only weaken suburban voting strength, it would also carve a big piece out of Partridge’s ward.
On the other hand, he says the consultants’ 15-ward option would completely eliminate his ward, with about half going to Dundas, half to Ancaster.
Pasuta strongly supports Partridge’s call to action. He believes imposed changes will reopen the wounds of amalgamation and ride roughshod over rural community feelings.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that it will cause some fur to fly.”
Pasuta’s ward is a prime example of why the ward boundaries were reviewed in the first place. Though geographically it’s the largest ward in the city, demographically it’s the smallest with about 17,000 people.
Ward 7 on the Mountain, on the other hand, is bursting at the seams with some 62,000 residents. But when it comes to political representation, both wards have one councillor, one vote at city hall.
The concern that an extra Mountain ward will upset the near-balance of power between suburban and inner city councillors is a common theme in the outlying communities.
Right now there are eight inner city councillors, seven from the suburbs and an elected-at-large mayor. An extra urban councillor could give the inner city the whip hand on polarizing issues such as area rating tax policies.
When the OMB rules on ward boundary issues, it not only considers voter parity, it also places strong emphasis on shared community heritage, interests, and socioeconomics. The board could impose its own ward map on council, send it back to the drawing board, or uphold council’s decision.
The latter is why Partridge is trying to muster support from Flamborough residents. She says it’s not about “fear mongering,” it’s about “good governance.”
Still, there’s no denying a little shared fear brings people together.
And as the newly-nominated Ontario Liberal candidate for Flamborough-Glanbrook, giving voice to it certainly won’t hurt Partridge’s election chances next June.
Andrew Dreschel’s commentary appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. adreschel@thespec.com 905-526-3495 @AndrewDreschel