Voters in the Municipality of Rhineland could be electing local government under a new system next fall. As one of the final steps in municipal amalgamation, Council needs to decide on a final electoral set-up before the next municipal election happening in 2018.
    
Currently, the council consists of one representative from each of the wards two through six, two councillors from Ward One and a reeve that is elected at-large. Reeve Don Wiebe says if Council doesn't make a decision it'll be forced to operate with eight councillors at-large, including the reeve, and admits this is one of the options being mulled by Council. He notes other options on the table include the current system as well as a two ward system.

"The two wards would be an east and west ward which would divide the municipal population by about half, and we would have three councillors from each ward." The Reeve would continue to be elected at-large.

Wiebe explains one of the benefits of a two-ward system would be that each region would have three representatives around the Council table. He says another perk is that this format may encourage more people to run for office.

"We've been told by some neighbouring municipalities that that's what happens. Instead of having a person running for a single ward where the competition is always between one out of a group (with a two ward system) it's three from a larger group."

He says Council hopes to reach a decision by the end of the year.

 

Image submitted by Rhineland Municipality