The $800,000 study – which concludes current boundaries are outdated – was
first requested by the city in 2013 to tackle the problem of varying populations in the wards. Downtown wards especially have higher populations than suburban ones. Keeping the populations even ensures votes carry the same power across wards.
[...]
The report outlines five possible solutions. The first, called the “minimal change” option, would leave the boundaries as intact as possible, but add three – resulting in 47 wards. The second, called the “44 wards” option, would keep the number of wards intact, but redraw them to account for population change. Option three, called “small wards,” would substantially increase the number of wards to 58, and decrease the average population to 50,000. Option four, called “large wards,” would do the opposite, decreasing the number of wards to 38, while increasing the average population size to 75,000. The final option, called “natural / physical boundaries,” would redraw the wards to take in account neighbourhoods and landmarks. The total number of wards would be slightly reduced to 41.
The study focused on the population projections for 2026 to give the new wards a life expectancy of about four municipal elections, until 2030, Mr. Davidson said.
[...]
“I’ve worked on numerous campaigns … I can’t remember once coming across somebody saying ‘Rob, I want more politicians,’” Mr. Ford told the Globe and Mail.
If his motion fails, Mr. Ford said he would support option four – large wards.
Mayor John Tory echoed Mr. Ford’s sentiments. In an e-mailed statement, Mr. Tory said he does not want to increase the number of councillors, but didn’t directly reference the report.
“The last thing we need is more politicians,” he said.
