Ford leaves amalgamation of Niagara region cities, towns up to local mayors

Premier Doug Ford is wading into the debate on the future of Niagara, as the regional chair is looking to amalgamate Niagara’s 12 cities and towns.

He said the reason why now is because life has become unaffordable, with high tax increases and too many elected officials.

The move has divided the region’s mayors, but Wednesday, Ford says it will be up to them to sort it out.

“If it’s going to go, then it has to be from Niagara, by Niagara,” said Ford. “It has to have approvals from the majority of Mayors, it has to have approval from the majority of elected officials.”

Ford said Wednesday it’s up to Niagara’s mayors to decide if the region’s towns and cities should amalgamate, though he made it clear that something must be done.

“I think people are sick and tired of, over a term, double digit tax increases in one term — taxes have gone up 25 per cent,” said Ford.

Last week, newly appointed regional chair Bob Gale sent a letter to Niagara’s 12 mayors, asking for their feedback on a plan to amalgamate the region — either into one large city or four — pointing to high tax increases, a backlog to fix crumbling infrastructure and inefficiency between different levels of government.

The regional municipality has a two-tier governance structure with the regional board overseeing 12 cities and towns with 126 councillors.

“We have had an endless flow of residents expressing their opposition to amalgamation, particularly to any changes in governments where they don’t have a say,” said Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop.

Gale addressed the Town of Fort Erie’s councillors Monday night at their monthly meeting, a presentation that left such a sour taste for local lawmakers, that they voted to have their mayor file a code of conduct complaint with the regional board.

WATCH MORE: Niagara Region Chair Bob Gale seeks mayors’ input on potential municipal amalgamation

“The regional chair, on his own volition — on what is clearly a personal mission, is using his public office and regional government resources to advance this initiative,” said Redekop. “We think that that’s improper.”

Redekop is also the chair of the region’s budget committee. He says the taxes have increased in the past term, but the majority of that is from the regional police’s budget and provincial mandates that the province doesn’t fund — neither of which would become cheaper if the region amalgamated.

Earlier Wednesday, CHCH News asked Ford about those provincial downloading costs as the culprit for rising taxes.

“They shouldn’t be elected, simple as that,” said Ford. “Start being accountable for once in your life through your tax payers. I could be the mayor of every single region in here and I would balance the books.”

Meanwhile, other mayors are open to the idea of creating four municipalities as long as each town and city is able to maintain its own identity.

“So I don’t think there’s a need for single governments for each one of those municipalities, but a joint government, to create more efficiencies number one, and to reduce the number of politicians, which really does increase efficiencies,” said Welland Mayor Frank Campion. “It’s certainly not going to save you much money, if any money at all.”

Ford says he’ll ultimately side with whatever the majority of local elected officials say.

The regional chair is asking for all feedback from municipalities to be submitted by next Tuesday, giving them less than two weeks in total.

WATCH MORE: Niagara mayors, residents divided over proposed regional amalgamation