Municipal reform long overdue

Lincoln and Grimsby are moving towards a pilot project to provide shared fire protection to both communities. The pilot project would structure the shared fire services to have a single fire chief and two deputy fire chiefs.

Niagara has one emergency medical service and one Niagara Regional Police Service. Both are operated very well on a regional level.

There are many efficiencies that can be found when you operate in this manner.

Grimsby/Lincoln sharing a fire protection program is a small move in the right direction, and bravo for these lower-tier councils for considering these efficiencies, but it doesn’t go far enough. Niagara had 12 separate fire services (now they have 11) which included two fire dispatch services.

Fire protection services across Niagara is one example of the numerous amounts of duplication that exists across Niagara.

This region has 139 political positions; 13 chief administrative officers for upperand lower-tier governments; this region has numerous transit services; the region has numerous planning departments, numerous economic development officers and the list goes on. There is plenty of duplication and opportunities for amalgamation and cost efficiencies.

Premier Doug Ford acknowledged there is a governance issue here in Niagara and promised reform. His government said it was ridiculous Niagara required 139 political positions (versus 16 in Hamilton) and then the provincial government backed away from its promise and Niagara settled back into business as usual.

Moving forward, Niagara politicians need stop working in silos and do what is best for Niagara, which includes looking for cost efficiencies across Niagara and opportunities to streamline services. #timeforchange

Allen McKay

St. Catharines