Council Spends Over an Hour Behind Closed Doors Getting Ready for OMB Ward Fight – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

July 10, 2017
City Council paused their open session General Issues Committee meeting just before 1pm today to go into closed session to discuss their strategy to fight citizens at OMB over ward boundaries.
Two citizens have appealed against Council’s gerrymandered new wards boundaries which, other than a few metres here and there, are the exact same as the present boundaries Council sought to maintain their incumbencies in.
Councillors voted for their own gerrymandered wards, despite a clear warning from expert consultants that the gerrymander will be indefensible at a Ontario Municipal Board hearing.
As Council is fighting against their own experts, they’ve had to retain outside lawyers – at taxpayer expense – to fight the case.
The OMB pre-hearing is scheduled for August 3rd, 10am, at Dundas Town Hall.
The OMB must making a ruling prior to January 1, 2018 if they choose to impose non-gerrymandered boundaries in Hamilton, for the wards to be in effect for the October 2018 municipal election.
Council revealed nothing of their strategy or costs after leaving closed session today.