Small Quebec towns debate reducing council size amid recruitment challenges [Video]

Some small Quebec municipalities are considering reducing the size of their city councils due to the challenges of recruiting candidates to run for office.

Quebec recently adopted a rule allowing communities of under 2,000 people to reduce their number of city councillors from six to four after next year’s elections.

The president of the Fédération québécoise des municipalités says the rule change has been a “recurrent” request from some towns that have struggled with persistent vacancies on city council or even for mayor.

Jacques Demers says it’s become harder for small towns to recruit candidates due to low salaries, the challenges of the job and a general lack of time and enthusiasm for community involvement.

“When we look at volunteers for leisure, volunteers for culture, volunteers for festivals, for exhibitions, all of this is becoming more and more difficult to recruit people,” he said in a phone interview.

Corina Lupu, …