Although there’s plenty of evidence that amalgamations don’t result in cost savings or more efficient service delivery, and after saying:

If any change is made, Ford said “it has to be from Niagara, by Niagara.”

“It has to have approvals from the majority of mayors, it has to have approvals from the majority of elected officials.”

Ford later added he’d like to see “hopefully, 70 or 80 per cent of the population agree” with any proposed governance changes.

“If we get that, that’s great,” he said.

In 2019, the province tasked Michael Fenn (a former Deputy Minister and City Manager) and Ken Seiling (a former Chair of the Region of Waterloo) with a governance review in Niagara.

The report has never been released publicly and, at the November 16, 2023 Council meeting, (former) Councillor Fred Davies and I brought a motion directing the Chair to request the report from the Premier and Cabinet.

I have sent the following text message to MPP Sam Oosterhoff:

Good morning, Sam

I hope you’re doing well, and I want to thank you/your colleagues for taking the appropriate action and having Bob Gale resign.

In the wake of this, it would be my recommendation that the province take a step back from any governance change and set a condition that the Region, in partnership with the local area municipalities, undertake a full review (public consultation, financial analysis, business case(s)) with recommendations for cost savings and service delivery efficiencies, including elected representation, with changes to be made ahead of the 2030 election.