Amalgamation

[Spokes]

All of the local politicians are saying the right things:  https://www.kitchenerpost.ca/news-story/...vernments/

“I think this provincial government has said that we’re going to look at ways of making governments better,” said Jaworsky in an interview Tuesday, shortly after the Doug Ford provincial government announced that it will be undertaking a review of regional municipalities within the province, including Waterloo Region.

Jaworsky said the part he is pleased with is the fact that former regional chair Ken Seiling is one of two advisors for the review, meaning that it should be fair and balanced.

“He makes sure the best ideas come forward and everyone has a voice,” said Jaworsky.

With confidence in the way the regional government operates with all seven municipalities, Jaworsky, who is in his second term as mayor of Waterloo, said there shouldn’t be reason to change much.

“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” he said.

Regional chair Karen Redman said there are still a lot of unknowns.

Like most media outlets, Redman received an email about 2 p.m. from Minister of Municipal Affairs Steve Clark, saying that the Ford government is going to look at regional government with an emphasis on cutting red tape and improving service in municipalities for business.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to have a discussions where we can improve services with an eye towards attracting investment and talent to Waterloo region,” Redman said. “What it shouldn’t be about is the correct number of politicians. Because other examples have proven that this is not necessarily a cost-saving measure.

“This should be — how do we better deliver services to resident and businesses in Waterloo Region. And that’s what should drive any change.”

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic also said the review was something he saw coming and he welcomes opportunity to not only see how residents and businesses can be best served in the future, but also reflect and showcase the amount of collaboration within the region.

“I think we have one of the best run region’s in the province in terms of the relationships that exist between regional government and the lower tier, and we have some best practices we can share with others,” he said.

Vrbanovic believes Kitchener’s government is right-sized and knows that some people argue the region has more people than comparable municipalities its size.

“The question becomes, what are the kinds of things we need to look for going forward as part of this process. The minister has said ‘Nothing is on the table but nothing is off the table,’” Vrbanovic noted.

“Until we sit down with the advisors and understand specifically what their mandate is, it’s difficult to say for sure.”