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Currently, there are many more questions than answers regarding potential change to municipal governance in Niagara.

I am very disappointed in the way that this matter was brought forward for discussion this past week. Starting with the letter from Regional Chair Bob Gale to Niagara Mayors, dated February 5 but not emailed until noon on February 19, together with a letter sent to Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack that same day was not, in my mind, an appropriate way to start a discussion regarding an issue of such magnitude, an issue with potential repercussions for so many people living and working in Niagara today.

Meaningful consultation with municipalities, their Councils, residents and community partners as part of a thoughtful, transparent process should have been the initial phase of any such governance change-related discussions. Any and all discussions that could potentially change the manner in which Niagara communities are governed should not be quick, knee-jerk reactions to numbers and circumstances, but rather should be advanced using careful analysis of all pros and cons, open dialogue and consultation with all stakeholders and should be based upon a data-driven business case.

There are a great many aspects of our current two-tier government model that I believe need to be addressed, especially at the upper tier level. I absolutely support efforts to examine our current Regional service delivery models to improve coordination, increase efficiency and, most of all, reduce costs to our residents.

I am fully committed to a careful, cautious consultative path focused specifically on potential Regional-level matters, such as the number of Councillors and the appropriate level of Regional services.

Each municipality in the region is unique in its composition and its needs, especially regarding infrastructure and economic focus.

West Lincoln is the largest geographical land area in the region with a relatively small population when compared to others in Niagara. It is a rural/urban mixed municipality that now has the appropriate planning in place to accept the carefully paced growth that is predicted to come by 2051. We are attracting new small- and mid-sized businesses to our community and we continue to advocate for the appropriate mix of housing to allow for the related workforce to be able to live in our community, for young families to get a start on home ownership and for seniors to be able to downsize and remain in our community. We continue to make strides in the advancement of local initiatives that support sustainable living and affordability for our residents. We manage our finances responsibly, managing to keep our local tax rate as low as possible while still delivering local services as we continue to build a strong, healthy and welcoming community.

As Mayor, in collaboration with West Lincoln Council, I will continue to advocate for what is best for the residents of West Lincoln. I will also continue to advocate for a fair, transparent decision-making process, grounded in hard evidence as we move forward with any governance-related discussions.

Earlier this term of Council, when the potential amalgamation of municipalities was last discussed, West Lincoln’s preference was to maintain the status quo. We agreed at that time that a one-municipality model would definitely not be in the best interests of West Lincoln. Our current position remains the same.