Municipal Boundary Review & Survey

The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board ("NSUARB") is required by the Municipal Government Act to conduct periodic reviews of the number and boundaries of municipal polling districts and the number of councillors. The NSUARB must consider the number of electors, relative parity of voting power, population density, community of interest and geographic size. As part of the Municipal Boundary Review process, each council is required to conduct a study every 8 years of the number and boundaries of polling districts in the municipality, their fairness and reasonableness and the number of councillors.

After the study is completed, and before the end of the year in which the study was conducted, the council must apply to the NSUARB to confirm or to alter the number and boundaries of polling districts and the number of councillors.

The last review was carried out in 2014. The Town of Yarmouth is now required to conduct a new Municipal Boundary Review. Applications for the next periodic review of municipal polling districts must be filed by the end of 2022.

Background

Since 1890, the Town of Yarmouth Council has been comprised of six (6) councillors and a mayor. The Town of Yarmouth has always elected councillors at-large, except for a brief 10-year period where wards were used, starting in 1975. Electing “at-large” is where all council members represent the entire town, and every voter gets a chance to vote for 6 council members from all candidates, and a Mayor. Electing in “wards” means the Town is divided into a number of areas, and candidates run for office to represent the specific area of Town. Electors only get to vote for candidates who have offered to run for their specific area, and the Mayor. Since abolishing the ward system in 1985, the Town has elected councillors at-large. Out of the 26 Towns in Nova Scotia, only 3 elect in wards today.

The population for the Town of Yarmouth based on the 2021 census is 6829, up since the first time since 1991. Based on this data, the ratio of councillors to citizens is one councillor for every 1138 citizens. Shown in Figure 1 below is the Town’s ranking in comparison to other towns with 6 councillors.

If the Town of Yarmouth were to reduce the number of councillors to 4, the councillor to citizen ratio would be one councillor for every 1707 citizens, which is 70% higher than the next highest ratio as seen in Figure 2.

Our Options Today

As part of the public engagement process, we are requesting your feedback on the size of Council, how we elect, and if you believe a change to the existing system should be made. Please complete our short survey at: getinvolvedyarmouth.ca/municipal-boundary-review

Paper copies are also available at Town Hall, 400 Main Street. The survey closes August 5th, 2022.

You may also submit written comments by mail to Town Hall, or email to admin@townofyarmouth.ca. Please indicate "Municipal Boundary Review" in the subject line.