Ward Boundary Review and Deputy Mayor Selection

Since its creation in 1970 as a lower-tier municipality in the Regional Municipality of Niagara, the Town of Pelham has been governed by a seven-member council comprised of a mayor elected at-large and six councillors elected through three wards.

The ward boundaries remained largely unchanged until 2013, when they were redrawn following a ward boundary review. Since then, neither the ward boundaries nor the composition of council composition has been systematically reviewed.

In 2022, council identified in the four-year strategic plan a focus area of Enhancing Capacity & Future Readiness. As part of the focus area, the council identified the Municipal Elections & Governance Model as an action item to prepare for the future needs of Pelham, and an RFP was prepared to have a review completed.

The proposed Council Composition, Ward Boundary Review, and Deputy Mayor Selection Study will review the composition of council and the ward boundaries. The selection process for the role of deputy mayor, current council structure and ward boundaries will be evaluated and considered against alternatives.

Public Information sessions will be available for residents of Pelham to participate in.

Two public consultation sessions are scheduled:

Session no. 1: Monday, February 12th from 6-8 pm at Pelham Fire Station #2

Session no. 2: Tuesday, February 27th from 6–8 pm at the Meridian Community Centre (Accursi Room)

During these sessions, alternative ward boundary maps and governance models will be available for public review and input, with consultants present on-site to provide information and answer questions.