South Bruce Council has reached a compromise on how council members are elected.
Starting with the 2010 election, each of the two wards will elect a councillor, but the other seats on council will be chosen at-large.
Councillor Les Nichols says he’d prefer to go all the way to an at-large system, but accepts the decision as a compromise.
Councillor Ken Kueneman voted against the plan, saying the ballot could be too confusing for voters.
Councillors Mike McDonagh and Jason Rogers think the voters should be left to decide in a referendum.
About seven residents showed up for the public meeting on the issue.
Dave Thompson wants “the old way” with three councillors representing each ward.
Jim Whytock says the ballot would be too confusing.
Jim Gowland supports the decision and says he favours a step towards what could eventually become an at-large system.
Mayor Bill Goetz feels council was ready to move fully to at large system, but he thinks once other councillors and residents see how having a few at-large seats works, they’ll accept having all of council that way.
Goetz has long believed that getting rid of the wards would make the municipality function better and get rid of division between the former Townships of Culross, Carrick, and the Villages of Teeswater and Mildmay.
Deputy Mayor Carl Zettel says the decision is a small step towards an at large system which he hopes leads to council working better together as one.
The motion passed 4-3.
A previous by-law to move to an at-large system in South Bruce was overturned by the Ontario Municipal Board.