Province urged to create Regional Water Entities
For smaller municipalities like Clearview, the support of Simcoe County in delivering services like waste disposal, social services and county roads is vital according to Mayor Doug Measures.
Measures told a July meeting of the province’s standing committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy that the county delivers shared services with efficiency that lower tier governments cannot achieve on their own.
“Municipalities should be left to manage their own affairs. However, the province should create legislative tools that enable municipal governments to promote regional agreements and service boards that truly can bring cost saving without the bureaucracy of over management,” said Measures. “If the goal is to have communities operate well, with amenities and services that the citizens require, then we need to look closer at the effectiveness of regional service delivery. Infrastructure costs continue to be the bane of the lower municipalities. Yet, working together with neighbouring municipal councils and boards can bring conflict in local priorities. I suggest that the province establish regional entities – to own, manage and operate public water and wastewater infrastructure. These could be efficiently operated and managed by the county.”
Small municipalities like Clearview can’t support the infrastructure improvements needed to facilitate large scale construction to make housing more attainable, according to Measures. Several developments in Creemore and Stayner are on hold due to infrastructure limitations.
“The county wields more bargaining power to negotiate the best deals and borrow at better rates,” he said.
The Simcoe County motto is “For the Greater Good.” Measures supports that ideal, but wants to ensure the township does not sacrifice autonomy over its affairs. “Citizens need the confidence of their leaders to be accessible and attentive to the needs ofcommunities. The finest form of self-governance is the local municipal council.”
The size and make-up of Simcoe County council was under scrutiny at a recent governance workshop. Clearview Deputy Mayor Paul VanStaveren says discussion focused on the appropriate size for county council and whether the role of Warden should be a full time position. Currently county council is composed of the mayors and deputy mayors of the 16-member municipalities, with one councillor being chosen by members to serve as Warden. Measures says decisions about the make-up of county council should be made locally, and not dictated by the province.
Councillors voted to support a recommendation that Warden Basil Clarke, on behalf of council, make a submission to the province’s standing committee on heritage, infrastructure and cultural policy that would reconfirm its position that they are ultimately strongertogether as the region faces rapid growth and demand for significant infrastructure investments.
By maintaining a two-tiered governance structure, county council noted it’s better positioned to ensure efficient regional service systems are maintained, as well as providing coordination of plans and investments that cross municipal borders.
