File Photo (Adam Riley/Acadia Broadcasting)

City staff will be putting Thunder Bay city council under the microscope as part of a review of its composition.

Currently the body is made up of 13 people, one Mayor, 12 Councillors, with seven being ward specific, Neebing, Current River, Red River, McKellar, McIntyre, Northwood, and Westfort, and the remaining five representing the city At-Large.

A report being presented to council Monday evening states a review was last completed prior to 1990 making it overdue as it has been requested by both the public and past councils.

Part of the review includes the assembly of a Citizen Committee, made up by six people.

Five will be appointed by council, the remaining spot selected by the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Areas of expertise for members of the committee must include:

• legal background and an understanding of the municipal legislation;
• a background or field of study in political science;
• a background or experience in the labour movement as a member or
  representative; or
• experience in the field of communications and citizen engagement; and
• all applicants must have the ability to work in a collaborative setting with a group
  of individuals from a variety of sectors.

The timeline for the review is expected to run from June until fall of 2024 with the delivery of a final report to council, and implementation of any changes starting in January of 2026 in the lead up to the municipal election that year.

There will be two phases of the review, the first includes a public survey and open houses, with the city looking for information on how often the public engages with elected officials.

In addition to collecting the relevant data it will also be used to inform the public on the framework required for council to function.

Phase two will see the review of the data by the committee before looking at options for public consideration.

The budget for the review is estimated at $28,000 and is being funded through a portion of both the 2023 and 2024 City Council Community Relation Operating Budget.