Niagara mayors present Premier Ford governance reform agenda

Eight mayors of municipalities in the Niagara region have sent a letter to Premier Doug Ford Wednesday outlining their plans for what they call “modernizing governance.”

Through the letter, the signatories present an agenda to address the number of politicians, strengthen local service delivery, eliminate duplication and secure long-term economic growth.

The Lord Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake and the mayors of Thorold, West Lincoln, Port Colborne, Fort Erie, Grimsby, Pelham, and the township of Wainfleet signed off on the letter.

“This is Niagara stepping up — not standing in the way,” reads the letter.

The governance review will include a focus on water and wastewater, the financial review of regional services and reducing the number of politicians to better reflect the needs and scale of each community.

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The letter continues to say that the mayors are asking for a meeting to discuss the issue of amalgamation.

This follows after the premier said last week that it would be up to Niagara’s mayors to decide if the region’s towns and cities should amalgamate.

“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.”

The St. Catharines City Council held a special meeting Monday, hosting a public forum for residents and councillors to give their take on the topic.

Similarly in Fort Erie, a rally was held at their town hall, where a group of people opposed regional amalgamation.

WATCH MORE: Public meetings, rally mark growing Niagara amalgamation fight