Council made a choice that didn’t suit ratepayers

To the Editor,

While reading the Aug. 25 Bancroft This Week, I noticed that Councillor Alex Walder has written about the at-large versus ward system.

First of all: who says one system is better than the other? There are pros and cons to both systems, and studies have proven that. I  tend to favor the ward system myself, as I like to be able to relate to a councillor who is used to dealing with issues in the ward I am in.

Hastings Highlands is a large area and with the at-large system you could end up with all the councillors  from one end of the municipality, another reason I favor the ward system.

I do not think there is a perfect system. It can only be as good as the people involved.

Walder suggests that Hastings Highlands could face further expensive litigation as a result of the petition to keep the ward system in place.

In the March 30, Bancroft This Teek paper it says Hastings Highlands council decided the 2018 election will be the at-large system. It also says that Councillor Nancy Matheson was under the impression the majority of people wanted to keep the ward system. Now council have changed that. Did you think there would not be a petition? If there is expensive litigation, it has been as a result of the decision made by council to go with the at-large system.

Michael Caven