When ratepayers in Mountain View School Division head to the polls this fall to elect a new board of trustees, things will be a little different than in the past.

As part of their public budget meeting, Mar. 2, MVSD presented some options for the realignment of its electoral wards ahead of the Oct. 28 vote.

“I guess the first question that a lot of people have is why are we changing the ward systems,” MVSD board chair Jason Gryba said.

“We have to do this to stay in compliance with the Public Schools Act, particularly section 57, which states that there has to be fairly close to equal representation of voters per trustee, across the wards.”

The effect of Bill 16, which finally extends voting rights to First Nations, also has to be considered in the calculation.

“So we have the Tootinaowaziibeeng First Nation, which are also going to be included into a ward,” Gryba said.

Under the current system, Ward 1 in the Roblin area does not have enough ratepayers to support the two trustees currently representing it, while Ward 4, the City of Dauphin needs more than its current three trustees, given its population.

“The number of voters that are represented by a trustee can vary slightly, but can’t be below a 25 per cent difference or above a 25 per cent difference,” Gryba said.

Currently Ward 1 is comprised of the Roblin Municipality and is represented by two trustees. Ward 2, also with two trustees, is made up by Grandview Municipality, Gilbert Plains Municipality, Municipality of Ethelbert and a portion of the RM of Mountain South. Ward 3 includes the RM of Dauphin, RM of Lakeshore, Mossey River Municipality and a portion of the RM of Mountain and McCreary Municipality, again with two trustees, while three trustees represent the City of Dauphin in Ward 4.

Read the full story in this week’s Dauphin Herald.