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Municipal Boundary Review & Survey

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Consultation has concluded

2022 Municipal Boundary Review

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.

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.

Consultation has concluded

  • Notice of Public Hearing (Number of Councillors)

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    Nova Scotia Utility And Review Board - Notice Of Public Hearing Re: Number Of Councillors

    THE TOWN OF YARMOUTH has made application to the Board under section 369 of the Municipal Government Act to confirm the number of councillors to be elected. This matter will be considered in a virtual public hearing as follows:

    Hearing starts: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at 11:00 AM

    Place: Offices of the Board 1601 Lower Water St., 3rd Floor Halifax, NS

    • You may speak at the hearing. You must notify the Board by Tuesday, May 9, 2023, to register.
    • You may make written comments by sending a letter to the Clerk of the Board at P.O. Box 1692, Unit “M”, Halifax, NS B3J 3S3, or by email at: board@novascotia.ca, or by fax at (902) 424-3919 by Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

    Additional information about the matter is as follows:

    A copy of the application is available for inspection during regular business hours at the Yarmouth Town Hall, 400 Main Street, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and at the offices of the Board, Summit Place, 3rd Floor, 1601 Lower Water Street, Halifax Nova Scotia or on the Board’s website at https://nsuarb.novascotia.ca/, by clicking on "Matters & Evidence", "Go to Files & Documents" and insert in "Go Directly to Matter" Matter ID M10908.

    To assist the Board in using correct forms of address and pronouns in our hearings and decisions, we invite all parties, lawyers, and all other participants to share their pronouns and titles with the Board and each other if they are comfortable doing so. There is no requirement to provide this information.


  • Notice of Public Consultations

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    As part of the public engagement process, we conducted a survey earlier this month. Thank you to all who participated, your input is appreciated! For part two of our public engagement process, we are hosting two public consultation sessions to share the survey results, receive more of your feedback, and answer any questions you may have about the boundary review. Please join us On Thursday, October 13th in council chambers at Yarmouth Town Hall, 400 Main Street. There are two times to choose from: 12 pm – 1 pm OR 5 pm - 6:30 pm. See you then!