The Municipality of Port Hope is reviewing its Council composition and ward boundaries. The review will assess how well the current Council structure and ward boundaries work for our community.

With our population expected to grow, the review will help ensure voters are represented equally in the decision-making process, no matter where they live in the Municipality.

Background

The Municipality of Port Hope was established in 2001 through the amalgamation of the former Town of Port Hope and the Township of Hope. At that time, it was determined that Council would be composed of a Mayor and six Councillors, elected to represent two wards: Ward 1 (urban) and Ward 2 (rural). At that time, it was also established that Ward 1 would be represented by four Councillors and Ward 2 by two Councillors.

The goal of the review is to assess this current Council composition and establish a ward structure that will accommodate growth and population shifts for at least the next three municipal elections.

The Council composition and ward boundary review will entail extensive public consultations and engagement opportunities for all residents. We’ll be asking you to tell us about your community and provide feedback on the current ward boundaries. Factors such as population growth, geography, community history, community interests and minority representation are all considered in the division of wards.

We received more than 200 survey responses on our first engagement – thank you to everyone who shared their input! The Ward Boundary and Council Composition Review is moving into its next phase. An interim report will be presented to Council in November, outlining preliminary findings and options for further community engagement. After that, we’ll launch the next phase of engagement, where you’ll be invited to share your thoughts on draft recommendations for how Port Hope’s wards and Council structure could evolve to reflect our growing and changing community.

In the meantime, the consultant has gathered several key themes from the first round of community discussions, which we have shared below to help inform the ongoing review process: