The County of Grande Prairie is moving on to the next steps of planning for a municipal census and electoral boundary review.
County Council directed administration earlier this week to move forward with the process by submitting a Request for Proposal. The administration originally brought forward the idea during the 2023 Interim Budget deliberations and recommended council move forward with the process for the most up-to-date data of the community. The last census done in the county was conducted over a decade ago, in 2012, and the last federal census was done back in 2021.
A review of the councillor numbers and electoral boundaries was also mandated back in 2021 when the Village of Hythe was dissolved into the municipality. According to highlights from this week’s council meeting, the review will look at the population of a ward determining whether the area has seen growth or decline. The review will also look at any population imbalances, which could result in boundary changes to “right-size council to ensure effective representation.”
If the municipal census is given the green light, it can be done by the administration, a ward boundary commission, or the county can hire a third party to complete it.