Council pushes for dual-duty councillor proposal
Change would allow members to sit on both city and regional council
Niagara Falls will request Niagara Region apply to the province to allow the city to change its method of electing councillors and also how those councillors will serve.
Acting on a motion by Coun. Victor Pietrangelo, council agreed last week to petition upper levels of government in support of double-direct representation.
That would allow elected members to serve on both city and regional council.
Adouble-direct election is one in which a person is elected to two political offices in one electoral event.
In the double-direct system, candidates can choose to run for seats that have been identified as serving on both upper and lower-tier councils, or for seats on city council only. But not both.
Mayors already serve on both upper and lower-tier councils, but in some regions there are other council seats designated double-direct as well.
These members tend to be full-time councillors because of the time demands involved in serving on two councils and the accompanying committees and other commitments. They must also be paid as full-time councillors.
“I personally think it’s a very good idea, especially in terms of communication, to have people that sit at the local level as well as at the regional level,” said Pietrangelo.
“This way, the people on the
different councils don’t get to pass the buck all the time and say, ‘Well, that was the regional councillor that did that.’ I think there would be a better understanding, really, of the issues at hand, if you have people that sit at both levels of government. It’s done in other parts of Ontario, so it works.” Niagara Falls currently has 12 elected city and regional politicians — eight city councillors, amayor who also sits on regional council, and three regional councillors.
If double-direct was to be used, and if the municipality was to keep the same number of regional representatives, that number could be cut to nine — five city councillors, three double-direct, and the mayor.
If regional council proceeds with Niagara Falls’ request and if it is approved by the province, passing the necessary bylaw at regional council would require a triple majority — a majority of regional councillors, plus a majority of local municipalities representing a majority of Niagara’s population.