Whitby rejects possibility of municipalities merging from provincial review

Residents’ connection with local municipality must be preserved under current regional system: town

Yokregion.com
March 27, 2019
Parvaneh Pessian

The Town of Whitby is pushing back against the possibility of Durham’s upper and lower tier municipalities amalgamating as a result of the province of Ontario’s review of regional governments.

Last month, Mayor Don Mitchell and the town’s chief administrative officer, Matthew Gaskell, met with the province’s special advisers and confirmed Whitby’s support for the two-tier structure of municipal government that’s currently in place.

“We know that people value and have a strong emotional connection with their local level of government,” the mayor said in a statement sent out by the town on March 19.

“Our top priority is to maintain this connection and continuing to deliver effective, efficient and responsive services to our residents and our community.”

During the meeting, the town also highlighted the need to clearly define the roles and responsibilities for both tiers -- including the size of regional government -- in order to strengthen governance and improve service delivery for all residents.

The province has appointed two special advisers to lead a probe of regional and area municipal governments in Durham, as well as Halton, York, Waterloo, Niagara, Peel, Oxford and Simcoe in an effort to reduce costs, cut red tape and create efficiencies. A total of 82 municipalities will be examined, and the possibility that some could face amalgamation in the future has not been ruled out.

“The regional government model has been in place for almost 50 years in Ontario and we are taking steps to ensure that regional governments are working efficiently and effectively,” the province said in a release issued earlier this year.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark said that the review will explore ways to make better use of taxpayers’ dollars and make it easier for residents and businesses to access municipal services.

“Michael Fenn and Ken Seiling bring a wealth of experience that will help us examine if the way regions are governed is working for the people,” he said.

On March 4, Whitby council unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the effectiveness of the existing two-tier structure of municipal government “as it has evolved on mutual agreement with our partner lower-tier municipalities since its foundation in 1974,” read a motion presented by Regional Coun. and Deputy Mayor Elizabeth Roy.

Reflecting earlier resolutions passed by other councils in the GTA -- including Burlington and Oakville -- it indicated that “residents of Whitby value their choices, voices and diversity of representation and residents should have their say before any change in municipal representation, or possible merger with other municipalities.”

Roy pointed to Premier Doug Ford’s downsizing of Toronto city council -- said to have been done in an effort to cut costs -- having the opposite effect, as staffing budgets were increased to maintain the level of services.

“Efficiencies are not efficiencies,” she said, noting that there’s nothing wrong with examining the process, but it has to be done properly with consultations considered and decisions made outside of political motivations.

“As leaders of our community, looking for efficiencies is something that I think we all take (to) heart. We just finished our own budget. Coming out of the last council, we have our own service delivery review ... and I know even dialogue that is taking place at the regional level, that we’re always looking at efficiencies.”

Roy added that it’s crucial that Whitby maintain its identity, which residents strongly value; in a recent survey, 91 per cent of respondents described quality of life in the town as excellent or good, 60 per cent reported they are satisfied with Whitby as a place to live, and 81 per cent said they are proud to call it home.

“This is going to have a great deal of impact on what’s going to happen locally and keeping and maintaining what we are as the Town of Whitby.”
The significance of the town making a statement on behalf of the community was echoed around the table.

“We are very individualized in this community,” said Centre Ward Coun. JoAnne Alexander, referring to the high level of public engagement seen recently in response to a new logo that was proposed as part of a municipal rebrand project.

“I think people take great pride in ownership in Whitby and I think to be proactive is absolutely wonderful.”

Residents and businesses can have their say on the regional government review between now and Tuesday, April 23 by visiting www.ontario.ca/page/consultation-regional-government-review. Comments are also being accepted by email at regionalgovreview@ontario.ca or by mail at Local Government Policy Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, 777 Bay Street, 13th floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2E5.