Electoral Review: One Ward, One Councillor System for True Accountability in East Gwillimbury

The 2010 Election – The Sullivans' Petition: A Fight for Clear Accountability from Sharon Residents

For 40 years, East Gwillimbury operated under an at-large voting system mandated by the province, where the entire town elected four general councillors and a mayor. As our community grew, this caused severe geographic imbalances—at one point, four of the five council members lived in a single community (Holland Landing), leaving other areas underrepresented.

The push for reform was led by grassroots advocacy, spearheaded in December 2009 by Sharon residents Jim and Lynne Sullivan. They launched a citizen petition demanding a ward system to ensure fair representation for communities facing massive growth. Their core focus was accountability and ownership. As Lynne Sullivan famously stated:

"There's no need for all four councillors to be taking these calls. There's no ownership for these issues."

When Town Council refused to implement the petition, residents took their fight to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) in 2011. While the OMB ultimately dismissed the appeal because the Town lacked a formal, comprehensive boundary review, the root issue was Town Council's sudden backtracking: Council had initially agreed to conduct the review, only to reverse their own motion hours later without explanation.

The 2018 Transition and Stalled Expansion

Following a delayed electoral review in 2016, the Town finally introduced a three-ward system for the 2018 election:

• Ward 1: Holland Landing

• Ward 2: Queensville and Sharon

• Ward 3: Mount Albert and rural areas

However, instead of creating single-member wards, the Town created a dual-councillor system where each ward elects two councillors, expanding Council to seven members.

Crucially, the Town’s own electoral consultants recommended a phased rollout: start with three dual wards in 2018, and then expand to a five single-member ward system by the 2022 election by splitting the rapidly growing Holland Landing and Queensville-Sharon wards.

Council shelved that recommendation. Today, in 2026, East Gwillimbury remains locked in the same interim 2018 model.

The Dual-Member Accountability Dilemma

Because Council kept two councillors per ward instead of establishing dedicated, single-member wards, the Sullivans' original warning remains unresolved today: diffused accountability.

When two councillors share identical geographic boundaries:

• This creates ambiguity, leaving no single definitive problem-solver for a neighbourhood’s concerns.

• Representatives can easily defer responsibility or pass the buck to the other councillor.

• Residents are left calling multiple representatives just to find out who is taking ownership.

The 2026 Election – Aryan’s Commitment: One Ward, One Councillor for True Accountability

Today, correcting this accountability gap is one of my top priorities, and a commitment I will champion through continued community advocacy regardless of the outcome of this election term. Just as Lynne Sullivan pointed out years ago: there is no reason for two councillors to be duplicating calls while avoiding direct ownership.

It is time to transition East Gwillimbury to a true "one ward, one councillor" model. This change will finally establish clear, undiluted local accountability, ensuring every neighbourhood has a single, dedicated representative acting solely in the public interest. Furthermore, under our current system with two councillors per ward, politicians can easily defer their accountability to the other councillor. This is a systemic accountability risk that we need to fix.

Why a True "One Ward, One Councillor" System Works:

• Direct Ownership: Every neighbourhood has a dedicated, identifiable representative who is directly responsible to those residents.

• Guaranteed Community Representation: Distinct communities—Queensville, Sharon, Holland Landing, Mount Albert, and our agricultural rural areas—are guaranteed an independent voice.

• Balanced Governance: It prevents a single geographical area or voting bloc from dominating Council, ensuring decisions are made in the broader public interest.

• Streamlined Communication: Clear, single-point contact for municipal inquiries and casework.

• Simpler, Fairer Ballots: Voters select the single best candidate for their neighbourhood, rather than navigating complex dual-seat dynamics.

My Action Plan for Town Council

If elected as your Ward 2 Councillor, I will bring forward a motion for an immediate, independent Ward Boundary Review with comprehensive public consultation to accurately reflect current populations, future growth, and the distinct identities of our communities.

When the OMB dismissed the citizens' appeal in 2011, the Vice-Chair closed with Margaret Mead’s famous words:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

My objective is to finish the work those committed residents started in 2009. By initiating this overdue review early in the term, we can ensure a modernized, fair, single-member ward system is fully in place for the 2030 municipal election—regardless of who runs or sits in those seats, because this is about serving the public interest, not preserving political careers.

I will be sharing further details on my proposed boundary review after the election.

If you believe in true accountability for your neighbourhood, I want to hear from you.

Action matters: Please share this post with your community and discuss it with your neighbours to help build strong community advocacy.

In East Gwillimbury, you elect two ward councillors, giving you the power to shape our community's future. Make Shahab Aryan your absolute first choice to bring independent, engineered leadership to Town Council.

My full platform and detailed plans are available on my website at www.ShahabAryan.ca . I encourage you to read them, and you can always reach me directly at Shahab@ShahabAryan.ca with any questions, concerns, or ideas.

Shahab Aryan, P.Eng.
Independent Ward 2 Candidate