PelhamToday received the following reader letter concerning Niagara Regional Council electing not to hear a presentation by an ex-CAO:
Whilst I personally believe that, based on 50 years of a failed and failing Niagara Region Councils, a ‘One Niagara’ is by far the worst governance solution for a majority of Niagara’s 12 Municipalities, I am surprised that the current Niagara Regional Council contrived to have Harry Schlange’s delegation removed from the agenda.
Having been a delegate on numerous occasions, with a ‘generous’ 10 minutes to present, including at the Region, I find it laughable to believe that even a former Regional, town and city Chief Administration Officer, now merely a resident, would have the time, in just five minutes, to make a presentation that could be remotely claimed as ‘lobbying.’
It’s all very well to claim points of order and ‘lobbyist’, two totally separate issues, but for the Chair then to support them by adding that “over the last several days many councillors had raised concerns”, makes one wonder just what both the Councillor and the Regional Chair actually think of transparency, openness or even, democracy?
It seems to me they were almost scared of perhaps hearing any proposed solution to by far the biggest problem facing both a One Niagara solution or its dissolution, and a future governance based on the existing 12 municipalities ‘growing up’ and agreeing to do what they were elected for, to take care of their own voters, residents and property owners, whilst sharing some services with their neighbouring municipalities.
The biggest ‘elephant in the room’, by far, is the huge and ever growing tax burden being demanded to support both 12 local bureaucracies, and specifically, our regional bureaucracy. I have yet to hear any municipal or Regional politician even mention this and often wonder why.
There can’t be anyone even only remotely concerned with Regional politics not wondering how governance reform may affect our municipal and regional staffs.
'We do now know that the only member of town, city or Regional staff any elected body can hire or fire is the CAO. Yet no current politician is questioning this or asking just who can ‘hire or fire’ all the other municipal or Regional staff?
We also know, that, apparently, the Municipal Act is being interpreted, by at least some CAOs, as their authority to grow their staff as they wish, without any elected council being able to even question these new staff hires.
So maybe Harry Schlange included in his presentation just how he would find hundreds, if not more, of municipal staff, willing to sacrifice their jobs in order to support a ‘One Niagara’ and its growing army of bureaucrats.
Personally, I would like to see someone, elected politician, or even unelected bureaucrat, within Niagara Region, producing a report, based on existing budget figures, comparing the tax cost of a One Niagara bureaucracy, and a combined 12 municipalities bureaucracy, to see which governance reform solution makes most sense to the weary and overtaxed property owners and taxpayers of Niagara.
And then I would like to hear just how our weak-kneed politicians intend to make the only sound economic decision to ensure huge reductions in staff, whether it be for a One Niagara solution or a 12 Municipalities solution.
Andrew Watts
Wainfleet
