Do you want the City of Red Deer divided into wards?
That’s the simplified plebiscite question on the table for Red Deer city council on Monday.
As residents cast votes for council and mayor during the Oct. 21 civic election, they will also be asked to check a box regarding a ward representation system.
The two options are:
• Yes, I want to be able to vote for the candidates who run in the area I live in (my ward)
• No, I want to keep voting for candidates for the whole city, not just the area where I live.
Last month, council rejected an earlier question that councillors deemed was confusing and too wordy.
The question was sent back to administration for a rewrite in plain language.
The debate followed council’s decision on March 18 to add the question, a surprising move following council’s decision six weeks before to reject a plebiscite.
A communications campaign on the meaning of the question and the differences between a ward representation and an at-large system will be launched. Up to $35,000 will be spent on the strategy, including the estimated $5,000 to place the question on the ballot.