The Town of Lunenburg is conducting a review of the number of Councillors (not including Mayor), electoral boundaries, and polling districts. Resident feedback on these topics is an integral part of the Town’s review.
A background report was presented to Council on August 9, 2022. The Boundary Review is required by the Government of Nova Scotia for all municipalities every eight years. The process is managed by the Nova Scotia Utility & Review Board.
This Fact Sheet outlines the questions underlying the Boundary Review, and the opportunities for public consultation.
Public Consultation
We are seeking feedback from residents of the Town of Lunenburg ONLY, aged 16 or older.
1. Survey: There was a short online survey until Sunday, August 28, 2022 with paper version available; the survey is now CLOSED.
2. Meeting: A public information meeting will be held at the regular Council Meeting of Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. Residents are welcome to attend and provide feedback at that time either in person or via Zoom (see link below).
3. Hearing: The Nova Scotia Utility & Review Board will schedule a Public Hearing into the application in early 2023.
The Questions
The Town of Lunenburg elects six Councillors at large and has one polling district with the boundary being the entire Town.
The background report provides an analysis of the questions. No changes are recommended.
Number of Councillors (not including the Mayor)
Research has been conducted into all 25 towns in Nova Scotia per the chart below. The average number of Councillors is 5.2. An analysis of six vs. four Councillors is contained in the background report including workload, expertise, candidate attraction, and quorum.
Number and boundaries of polling district(s) and whether fair/reasonable
The Town of Lunenburg has had only one polling district for over 100 years with an electoral boundary of the entire town, per the map below. 20 of Nova Scotia’s 25 towns also have a single polling district. An analysis of one district vs. a ward system is contained in the background report including considerations of representation, disparity, and collaboration.
Resources
- The online survey link is: https://bit.ly/TOL-BoundarySurvey
- Click on these links to download the pdf background report (2.53 MB) and/or a print copy of the pdf public survey (922 KB) .
- To attend the Public Information Meeting online on September 13, 2022: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89705786856 to participate or YouTube https://bit.ly/YouTubeTOL to view only.
- Nova Scotia Utility & Review Board on Municipal Boundaries: https://nsuarb.novascotia.ca/mandates/municipal-boundaries
- To access Council agenda and minutes packages. visit: https://townoflunenburg.ca/council-meetings-2022.html
Click here to download a PDF of this pdf Fact Sheet (1.35 MB) .
