There may be two seats representing Okotoks at the Foothills School Division table in the future.
Foothills School Division is hosting an open house on Feb. 9 at Okotoks Junior High School to discuss potentially having two trustees for Okotoks instead of one at present. It would increase the number of trustees at the board table from five to six. The change could be in place for the October 2017 election.
"The (provincial) government has made it clear that boards should stay within recommended (population) ranges," said Drew Chipman, division assistant superintendent, corporate finances "We didn’t want to get to the point where Okotoks is wondering, 'How come we have only one trustee for 28,000 people?' We didn't want to be open to that kind of criticism."
The proposal will have the two Okotoks trustees sharing the present geographic boundary, there would not be an Okotoks North and Okotoks South scenario for example.
"There will be two trustees at-large," Chipman explained. "As many trustees that are running, the top two will be the successful candidates."
The 2015 census showed Okotoks had a population of 28,016 with the total population of the Foothills jurisdiction being 68,763. Okotoks is approximately 41 per cent of the entire Foothills population.
The recommendation from the government is trustees govern within plus or minus 25 per cent of the average population they represent.
The average population each of the five trustees represents is 13,752. For the Okotoks trustee(s) to get within the 25 per cent range, it must be between 10,314 and 17,190 people. The proposal would have the two Okotoks trustees representing 14,008 people each, putting it well within the range.
There would be no changes to the other four wards.
However, it means the potential for a 3-3 tie when voting. Unlike the classic 2016 Cubs-Indians World Series, there is no Game 7 tiebreaker at a board meeting.
"If there is an issue that comes down to a tie, a tie is a loss (to the motion)," Chipman explained. "Our consultant reviewed other boards that have an even number of trustees and found that it was very, rarely an issue. We don't see that as being a concern."
He added trustees typically strive to reach consensus on an issue and it has been quite some time since there was a 3-2 vote among the present trustees.
Okotoks Deputy Mayor Tanya Thorn said she supports the school division in its venture.
“They are another electoral body and like municipalities, I think they should have the autonomy to determine what the representation is and what is the most effective,” Thorn said. “We are huge supporters of appropriate representation. I do think one trustee representing the schools in Okotoks it is too much to effectively bring forward the issues whatever that might be for Okotoks students.”
If the board approves adding an Okotoks trustee at its Feb. 15 meeting, it would then need approval from the Province for the change to be effective for the October election.
The sitting trustees are, Ward 1 (Black Diamond, Longview, Turner Valley) — Jeannine Tucker; Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, Heritage Heights) — Michael Pollard; Ward 3 (Priddis, Red Deer Lake) — chairwoman Christine Pretty; Ward 5 (High River) — Doug Gardner.
At present, Okotoks, Ward 4, is without a trustee as Laurie Copland took a leave of absence in light of fraud and theft charges, which are currently before the court. Her duties are being shared among the four other trustees. The charges do not stem from any dealings with the school division or her duties as a trustee.
For further information concerning the proposal for another Okotoks trustee go to fsd38.ab.ca
