Political lines being drawn at city hall, but council’s size won’t change

The Cit of London is conducting a boundary review of its 14 wards. July 10, 2024. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

A major decision has already been made as city hall conducts a ward boundary review ahead of the next municipal election.

On Tuesday, representatives of consulting firm Watson and Associates told Londoners at a public meeting that the number of city councillors will not change as a part of the process.

Currently, council is made up of 14 councillors and the mayor.

Proposed changes to London’s ward map will continue to divide the city into 14 areas, each with one council representative.

Former city councillor Sandy Levin told CTV News after the meeting, “When you go to the survey that's on the city website, it still asks you if you think council is too big or too small. So if the decision is already made, I'm not sure why that question is there?”

Specifically, the sixth question asks, “Is the city’s council the right size?”

As a result of the review, some wards could remain unchanged and others will be adjusted.

 

Goals of the review

• Balance the current population distribution between wards
• Balance the future population distribution between wards
• Consider geographic representation where boundaries reflect natural and man-made features (major roads, the river, etc.)
• Consider residential and commercial communities of shared interests
• Ensure effective voter representative

The goal of the review is to accommodate growth projections for the next two municipal elections (2026 and 2030).

About 500 people have completed the online survey which is available on the Get Involved London website until the end of July.

Alternative ward maps will be presented at a meeting this fall for public feedback.

Council will make a final decision about adjusting ward boundaries in November, 2024.