Survey says 60 per cent want change to council size and wards

“It is reasonable to suggest” the County’s survey on council size and electoral boundaries shows 60 per cent are in favour of change to a reduced council in two or three wards.

Gary Mooney

Gary Mooney, one of three people to make a deputation at Council Tuesday, Nov. 10, will provide analysis on the results of the public survey – prompted by a councillor’s suggestion at the Oct. 29 Committee of the Whole meeting that the results of 649 responses may be statistically significant.

Mooney is an actuary by trade, with training in statistics.

“The survey shows that 60 per cent of respondents favour two or three electoral wards, while 40 per cent favour nine or 10,” said Mooney. “A random survey of 649 people is sufficient to give results matching the views of a population of 25,000 within five percentage points (plus or minus), 99 times out of 100.”

Mooney noted that in this situation, 55 to 65 per cent of County residents favour two or three electoral wards, while 45 to 35 per cent favour nine or 10.

“The closest result is 55 / 45 in favour of two or three electoral wards, and the farthest is 65 / 35 – in both cases, a clear majority favouring two or three electoral wards.

“Although the respondents were not selected randomly, it is my view that the process of obtaining responses was as close to random selection as possible, for a reasonable cost. At the very least, the results reflect the views of those with a significant interest in the topic.”

Mooney believes the survey results provide the best source of information about the wishes of County residents.

However, given that he is the author of the three electoral ward proposal, he welcomes peer review of his work by a qualified statistician.

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