The request from Niagara Regional Councillor Haley Bateman
A Niagara regional councillor reaching out to Premier Doug Ford about the future of Niagara governance.
First, Haley Bateman points out Municipal Affairs Minister Rob Flack has written to Acting Chair Cheryl Ganann, about getting the province ready for further growth.
On Wednesday, the councillor is presenting a motion called "A New Deal for Niagara", outlining funding changes from the province to Niagara since 2022. It indicates a new partnership is needed with the province, that includes addressing the financial burdens Niagara taxpayers are facing, in that they can't handle provincially associated costs anymore.
She's also very concerned with an appointed chair and 12 mayors, saying this will increase their workload with no councillors.
She says it'll be tougher for them to be mayors, and councillors at the same time.
Bateman adds elected regional councillors means more voices represented, and an elected chair and councillors.
She's asking the Premier to re-consider the idea.
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