Council to examine potential electoral ward changes

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This article was published 01/04/2022 (1441 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ahead of Manitoba’s municipal elections this fall, the City of Brandon’s ward system could get a bit of a shakeup.

The agenda for Monday’s Brandon City Council meeting will feature the first reading for a bylaw that would change the boundaries for the 10 wards electing representatives to council.

According to a document attached to the agenda, population and dwelling unit data from last year’s census are being used to “try to achieve an approximately equal number of residents in the wards, while keeping the ward boundaries as simple as possible.”

By law, any change to municipal boundaries must be passed at least 180 days before a general municipal election. That means the city must make any changes by April 29 ahead of the Oct. 29 election date.

The Sun will analyze the changes in an article sometime next week, but it appears the majority of the changes are in the city’s southwest.

The last time the city completed a full review of electoral ward boundaries was in 2008.

Also up for change could be the names of each ward.

“The historical monikers that have been assigned to the wards can become misleading based on changes to the ward boundaries,” the agenda document reads. “It is proposed that they be changed to directional names which will allow resident to identify wards based on their locations within the city.”

Current ward names are Assiniboine, Rosser, Victoria, University, Meadows-Waverly, South Centre, Linden Lanes, Richmond, Riverview and Green Acres.

The proposed new names are Brandon North Electoral Ward 1, Brandon North-Centre Electoral Ward 2, Brandon West-Centre, Brandon West Electoral Ward 4, Brandon Southwest-Centre Electoral Ward 5, Brandon South-Centre Electoral Ward 6, Brandon South Electoral Ward 8, Brandon East Electoral 9 and Brandon South-East Electoral 10.

Council will also have first readings on two bylaws relating to this fall’s election, one regulating what city resources can be used to run the election and another setting campaign expense limits for electoral candidates by adjusting the 2018 limits for inflation.

A large portion of the evening’s proceedings will be taken up by matters relating to the city’s 2022 budget.

No members of the public were allowed to speak during budget deliberations earlier this year, but the city is holding a public hearing on its finalized 2022 financial plan on Monday with council meetings open for visitors from this point on.

There will be bylaws relating to the financial plan getting first readings as well on subject of implementing this year’s property taxes, borrowing funds for continuing upgrades to the municipal water treatment plant and borrowing funds for improving the drainage network in southeast Brandon.

Brandon Municipal Airport manager Greg Brown will give a presentation advocating for the creation of a wall of fame at the facility commemorating people in the city who have made “outstanding contributions to the Brandon Municipal Airport.”

Second reading will be given to a rezoning bylaw for a development at 309 Princess Ave. and finally, council will vote on whether to amend a resolution relating to an affordable housing incentive it approved last year.

With council meetings once again open to the public, residents are once again invited to provide council will feedback during the community comments portion of meetings.

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