Voting system is undemocratic

August 8, 2013 · 0 Comments

Dear Premier Wynne:

Members of Dufferin Veterans’ Association debated the current voting system here at the county level where the weighted voting method gives Orangeville sweeping power and control over all issues concerning Dufferin County. This is in contravention of the County of Dufferin act, 1994 which specifically states that no one municipality shall control the votes

This control is due to the weighted voting system which is based on Orangeville’s number of voters. Our Association considers this to be an outdated, and illegal, process which affects the outcome of every issue that comes before council and it has become a detriment to true democracy.

Veterans’ membership voted unanimously in favour of a change to the governing statute in order to ensure that the domination of the outcome of any issue before council is not in the control of a single community with the highest population and greatest number of voters.

Because one community in a county is population dominant it should not rule the outcome of any county issue. A town is a single entity and as such should not have voting power that exceeds that of other county communities.

The Veterans’ Association membership hereby formally request that the government of the Province of Ontario act immediately to amend the governing statute, possibly by introducing a financial penalty on offenders, to ensure voting equality is achieved at the county level.

An example of the failure of the current system is evident in county council’s decision to ignore the expressed wishes of the majority of citizens to retain the Shelburne hospital for their medical requirements but instead the county voted to convert it into 24 affordable housing units at a heavy cost to Dufferin taxpayers, ($4,000,000 the current estimate) and now they propose to renovate the Mel Lloyd centre and establish medical facilities there at a cost yet to be disclosed. There is no discernable logic to these money wasting decisions.

The Dufferin Veterans’

Association membership