The City of Guelph has released 13 options to realign its ward boundaries ahead of the next municipal election in 2022.
The options include configurations of four, five, six, eight, 10 and 12 wards.
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A report from the consultant hired by the city also features recommended council composition options for each ward and suggestions about whether the councillors should be full-time or part-time.
Right now, Guelph has six wards represented by 12 part-time councillors.
The city said the 13 options consider four priorities: population, projected growth, communities of interest and natural boundaries and geographic features.
A survey launched in January in which 220 people participated found that of those surveyed, equal population among the wards was the highest-scoring priority.
Each option considers all four priorities, but the city said they reflect equal population across the wards right now and in the future as the city grows.
Residents are now being asked to provide feedback on these options by March 14 to help staff and the consulting team narrow down the options.
The city has launched an online survey and will host two virtual town halls — on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., and again on March 10 at 7 p.m.
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More community engagement is planned for April before a report to council in June with final recommendations for the ward boundaries and how many councillors should represent each one of them.
More information on the review can be found on the city’s website.
The next phase of the ward boundary review has arrived and we’ve heard you loud and clear, #Guelph. Check out 13 ward boundary options and council compositions by March 14: https://t.co/EqF5eWdKP3 pic.twitter.com/j4fgxQjlns
— City of Guelph (@cityofguelph) February 23, 2021