What is a city ward? A ward is a geographical area of a city assigned to a Councillor. If you live in a ward, your political contact point at the city is the assigned Councillor.
Why do politicians dislike the ward system? Simple, because they can be then be held accountable.
Why do Richmond taxpayers like ward systems? Because they have an exact politician to contact to resolve their issues, as opposed to “writing city Council” and having no one do anything.
Many cities in Canada have a ward system, including Ottawa. It is long overdue for Richmond to adopt the same system to serve taxpayers better.