Regional Council unanimously supports motion to leave current Local and Regional structure intact

Regional Council unanimously supports motion to leave current Local and Regional structure intact At the Council meeting on March 27, 2019, Halton Regional Council endorsed a resolution to be sent to the Provincial Government that states the two-tier municipal government in Halton Region is effective and any changes to it would be “disruptive and wasteful.” Regional Council’s position on the Regional government review supports recent motions passed by the City of Burlington, Town of Halton Hills, Town of Milton and the Town of Oakville. “In Halton, both the Region and our municipal partners are dedicated to providing reliable, high-quality and fiscally responsible programs and services to residents,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “Our record demonstrates that the Region and Local Municipalities are working together in an efficient and responsible manner—98 per cent of residents in Halton rate their quality of life as high and 97 per cent are satisfied with the quality of Regional services.” In the motion endorsed on March 27, 2019, Council noted that since its creation in 1974, at no time has anyone run or been elected to change the two-tier structure of municipal government in Halton Region. Consultation on the Regional government review is underway across the province. In February, Chair Carr, Mayor Bonnette, Mayor Burton, Mayor Krantz and Mayor Meed Ward met with the special advisors appointed by the Provincial Government, Ken Seiling and Michael Fenn. During that meeting and in a February 13 letterto the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Chair Carr and the four Mayors voiced support for the current structure, outlining many of Halton’s recent achievements. Halton Region provides essential programs and services that contribute to a high quality of life in Halton. The Region has maintained its AAA credit rating for over 30 years and it continues to invest in programs, services and infrastructure, keeping property taxes low and ensuring value for taxpayers’ dollars. Halton is recognized annually as one of the safest communities in Canada and each year all four municipalities are ranked high in the Moneysense “Best Place to Live” feature. To view the Notice of Motion or to learn more about Regional programs and services, visit halton.ca.