Amherstburg council will debate Monday night the voting method to be used in the 2026 municipal election.
Also up for debate in the report being presented to council is a staff recommendation for the town not to pursue implementing a ward system at this time.
Earlier this summer, Mayor Michael Prue had asked for the report exploring all options.
In the 2022 election, the question of implementing a ward was put on the ballot, but results were nearly tied and non-binding as voter turnout fell below 50 per cent.
Administration says a ward system could split up existing neighbourhoods in new ways and potentially create more division instead of unity.
Instead, staff recommend the town do more community consultation to address local concerns without making any electoral changes.
Something Prue disagrees with.
"It has been my experience over my political lifetime that a ward system works better than at-large system. It narrows in who is responsible for certain areas. It gives empowerment to people who don't live in a downtown core to have their own person that they can go to," Prue said.
Prue said he's looking to have a system implemented that is similar to other municipalities in the region, which is a mix of mayors and deputy mayors elected at-large and councillors elected within wards.
"As I see it, we have five councillors now, you could easily have five wards of 5,000 people each, and those people would have a responsibility to reflect what their constituents want," he said.
Prue said he believes the question should be put back to voters in a more direct, less confusing, way.
"If you have a mixed system, and you have it on the ballot saying 'there's going to be five wards, this is what they're going to look like, this is what is going to happen, yes or no?', you can find out what the people want because last time it was just 'are you in favour of a ward system?'," Prue said.
Administration is recommending council adopt in-person voting only for the municipal election happening Monday, Oct. 26, 2026.
In a post-2022 election survey, residents overwhelmingly supported continuing future elections in-person, with 72.6 per cent support. Nearly four times more popular than the next option of Internet voting.
Prue said he agreed with staff's recommendation to adopt in-person voting for 2026, and added the town offers a number of accessible options, including but not limited to, in-home voting for persons with disabilities.