Hamilton city councillors vote to change ward boundaries - but only slightly

Hamilton city council has finally agreed to change its ward boundaries. But the changes are minimal, and despite spending $270,000 on a consultant, these are changes councillors drew up themselves.

City council's general issues committee voted 11-3 to go with their own ideas for realigning Hamilton's ward boundaries. And the boundaries don't look much different from what's there now.

The city-hired consultant, Watson and Associates, originally came up with two new options for ward boundaries — one with 15 wards, one with 16 wards. The city spent about $270,000 for the consultant to do public consultation and present some options.

Then councillors voted to draw up their own options, which critics called a case of gerrymandering. 

On Wednesday, the consultant came back with the original two options, plus the one drawn up by councillors that made very few changes. The council option makes only minor changes to two or three wards, and adds no new wards or councillors. 

The councillor option also doesn't solve the basic problem of disproportionate representation, or line up with the rapid development in Hamilton's suburbs, the consultant said.

Ward 7 on the Mountain, for example, had 62,179 people as of 2011. Ward 14 in rural Flamborough had just 17,634.

But most councillors opted for their own work, saying it maintains the character of suburban areas – such as Ward 14 – still suffering from amalgamation battle scars.

City staff will now draft a bylaw to bring to city council in late February or early March.

Citizens can also appeal the decision to the Ontario Municipal Board, where the city could be sent back to the drawing board, or have boundaries imposed on it.

Ward boundaries have been an issue since 2001, when Hamilton's amalgamation transition board advised a future council review it within 10 years.

City council will ratify the decision on Feb. 8.