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Has the Bureaucracy of Halton Region become; Halton taxpayers’ redundant Black-Hole?

January 17, 2006.

Halton: Many in the region are complaining about all the tax increases Halton residents are being bombarded with from the various levels of government. Recently, former Regional Chairman - Ric Morrow wrote an article published in the Oakville Beaver dated Jan. 7, 2006, and in the article Mr. Morrow talked about Mrs. Savoline’s resignation and the potential impact and consequences her successor might make in Halton. Mr Morrow wrote; “That person will be assuming a very powerful position that encompasses the area and population of four federal ridings. Where that individual seeks to lead the Region will have consequences for all Halton residents and for our future taxes”. We in North Halton certainly understand, as we all, who pay taxes, have given much consideration to how our Regional assessments are municipally allocated and budgeted by our Region’s Bureaucracy. And we too are concerned that a constituency south of Dundas may hold the fate, as Mr. Morrow indirectly insinuated, will affect us north of Dundas, in “Rural Halton’.

The former Regional Chairman went on to inform Oakville residents; “It is now time for a major change in how we govern the Halton area”, and to that I think most in ‘rural Halton’ will agree. Mr. Morrow goes on to say; “For those who have studied the changes in municipal structures in the GTA over the last 50 years, it is obvious that, at some time in the future, Halton will become a single-tier city structure with one mayor and one governing council. The question is whether our elected officials will consider the very substantial cost savings that are possible with single-tier or will they wait until it is imposed by the Province, as happened with the City of Toronto and Hamilton-Wentworth Region.”

Anyone who resides north of Dundas, in the areas present Chair Savoline describes as; “rural Halton” know of the potential implications and impacts such a single-tier municipal consolidation merger would have on North Halton residents. Many in North Halton already feel poorly represented at the Region, and as we speak, the Region is already working on spending millions upon millions of Halton’s taxpayers’ dollars on building a new regional facility to serve all of Halton, by bringing all the Region’s departments under one roof. To much of ‘Rural Halton’s’ dismay (chuckle), the new facility is not going to be spread throughout Halton. The new facility is going to be built south of Dundas in what appears to be, the Council’s constituent core.

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It’s obvious the premise of Mr. Morrow’s ambitions would put Halton’s ‘rural communities’ at risk. Our ‘Rural Communities’ already feel we are misrepresented at the Region’s council table and this proposed consolidation merger would leave us all but forgotten. Our community classrooms in our brand new schools are spilling out into their parking lots in the form of portables. The Region’s downloading of its roads is burdening our already taxed municipal road maintenance budgets while the Region continues to increase our taxes. Halton Region boasts about being listed in Maclean’s Magazine as – a member of Canada's top 100 employers, and looking at Halton Region’s CAO - Brent Marshall’s exorbitant salary, gives us the insight to understand how a government agency can gain the prominent status normally reserved for capitalist corporate performers who operate in commercial industries.

If we look at the comparison figures used by the ex-Chair from other single-tier regions, the potential savings are obvious and serve to indicate there is room for improvement:

Hamilton with its population of 500,000 has 1 Mayor and 15 governing councillors for a total council of 16.

London - with a population of 360,000 has 1 Mayor, 4 controllers and 16 governing councillors for a total council of 21.

Halton - with a population of 400,000 has; Halton Region - has 1 Chair and 16 governing councillors for a council total of 17; Burlington - has 1 Mayor and 6 governing councillors for a council total of 7; Oakville - has 1 Mayor and 12 governing councillors for a total council of 13; Milton - has 1 Mayor and 10 governing councillors for a total council of 11; Halton Hills – has 1 Mayor and 10 governing councillors for a total council of 11. Governing Council Members for Halton Region total 59, and we haven’t even begun to total the sub administrators that fall under the jurisdiction of each council.

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But if bureaucratic mergers are so good, why not merge the Provinces? If it’s all about money, why not have just have one level of government for all? We all know that won’t work simply because it fails to properly represent each community and their unique special interest. We have more in common with Metro than the other municipalities Morrow used as his comparisons. Municipalities in Metro serve to prove neighbouring regions are not happy with their multi-tier marriages and have been trying to divorce from these polygamist arrangements with multi-tier regional governments for sometime now? The consensus to the East Metro is; NO, we don’t want to be a part of it. We want to be the governors of our own destiny. We each, as communities, have unique interests that set us apart from other municipalities, and have formed local governments to protect our needs and interest. A part of Halton has been Green-belted and there are geological resources that are exclusive to this region. Milton for example has their own official plan and resources that are unique and exclusive to them in their municipality, as does Oakville/Burlington.

The time is now to put a stop to this talk of a municipal consolidation merger and move to protect our special interest before the Region makes its move to take what we’ve developed, away. The municipalities within our region are strong enough and large enough to succeed the Region. Mr. Morrow, the question is not; have local Municipalities outgrowing their usefulness? The question is now; are local municipalities capable of functioning on their own? To answer that question we only have to ask ourselves; are there any cost savings, or would our many municipalities find benefit by keeping their own share of Regional assessments typically appropriates to finance the Regional redundant Bureaucracy?

Readers may contact the editor at;

Mail: The Halton Herald.ca, P.O. Box 76, Acton, ON. L7J 2M2.

Email: editor@thehaltonherald.ca

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