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_____â€"_._â€"â€"â€"_â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"_â€"vis_â€"_,W , ‘ l l WAl'l-Rl,t)()CHRONIC|£ ' Wednesday. October 29, 2008' 3 i W,#_ HWY“. . gist]? ( ’ ' e WOl‘ -- am gama lOIl . . o o o o o o o a . Councrls say public input is missmg from Citizens for Better Government plan 1 o o a V a t a o ; CounCillors critical of $3.4. Cambridge councrl I . 1.5:1?§7.,§f:-5 o o Kitchener’s plan to .. gears” ., not interested in tart w rkin on L‘ ' V ‘ a” rkin 0 Ian 8 0 ggr p we , . we ggr app muoanmc mm“ 555,-,” " 1:15;: :34" r. Brim/Mam Chronicle Sta)? . ”L flaw: a. For the Chronicle â€"--â€"-â€"â€"-r -~ is â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"~ 1 f there is any formal process struck to discuss . N»? ( t! ’ i’ ' A ambridge council isn't about to be drawn the findings of Citizens for Better Government ’ ’ ‘. i 7 g ‘. ., r ,: , ' ‘ » ‘ into further discussion over the recommenâ€" 1 regarding local govemance reform. it has to be . ‘fl ,' - g , of!" a A v} .‘ dations of the Citizens For Better Governâ€" 1 open and transparent. and there has to be input y _. _ f!" {L “:7“ & ' “ ment‘s regional restructuring proposals from the public. a ‘ 1% "1, $5 )_ ' V ' “We‘ve gone this route before,” said Coun. Karl l That's the consensus of local municipal polite . , .2" ‘- gt '1 ~ ggfi Kiefer. “We‘ve been there, done that and got the T- l cians responding to a proposal by City of Kitchen- - . V533?” ’3'}- [Q ~., is shirt," he said in response to the question of i er council to strike a small group of elected people ‘ ‘ We . Kg ‘ ' . ' ’4" whether Cambridge council should participate in l to informally gather to determine what. if any. fur- . w) (j; .. _ an all-councils‘ discussion proposed by Kitchener 1 ther steps should be taken to respond to the . - '3’“ , 12:, /.'\‘ * ”a ”N” MayorCarlZehr. 1 report. , g ‘ , This is the suggested ward El 3 “flag ‘ : gm _ , “Every five years we're debating the same 1 At a Sept. 23 meeting in (ambndge representa~ map for an amalgamated tW t W ' - g a}. 915%? issue,” said Cambridge (Joun. Ben Tucci. 1 tives of Citizens for Better Government released Waterloo region fea‘uring 1 ill ‘25.; L," #3? f?" ‘ “Waterloo wouldn't want this. Cambridge does- 1 their final report called Finding a Better Way. The 25 wards. éfih’é , aw Kg??? . _ n't want this" I report‘s main recommendation was for Waterloo - ' ' 1 ' Tucci suggested the matter be set aside for a 1 Region's three cities and eight townships to all . . __ "‘ year in order to focus on what can be done to help 1 come under one umbrella and form a new one- C 11 f residents get through the economic downturn. tier municipality. lty counc says re orm When it comes to regional restructuring, Tucci Other options discussed included amalgamat» h ‘ f believes “if it isn’t broke. don’t fix it.” ing Kitchener and Waterloo into one city, and pus momg too ast He'd rather see the current system “tweaked" forming another large municipality while leaving .. . . than reformed. Cambridge our. “(aim MAISDOW too {3'5" 1‘ “m seems we the gas Coun. Pam Wolf noted that not one candidate Kitchener council has already expressed its & gr???) has been pushed ‘0 the in the last municipal election ran on a platform of strong suppon for amalgamation and is pushing , , ' regional reform because “there is no appetite for the debate by striking a working group that could terloo City countillors Doug Hutton, aWaierloo-‘based amalgamation here." start meeting as early as Thursday of this week. had a chance ‘0 comment representative from (‘f BC" “Even after 35 years, we‘re still feeling the pain.“ The working group will consist of two or three on El Proposed mumctpal fiel|€V€S that amalgamation is said Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig. members of each local municipality including the amalgamation plan on Monday. inevttable and that Waterloo region Craig went on to question the timing of the Cit- mayors. regional Chair Ken Selling and M0 coon» but most seemed reluctant to has the chance to do it on its own izens For Better Government's call for regional cillors from each city and one from each township. move forward mum”! public terms. . , ‘ government reformation. This preliminary dlSCuSSIOH could pave the way input, . . ‘ , H we do nothing, m” can bet “Why. during an economic crisis, should we be I to an all-councils meeting to determine possible The (.itizens For Better (morn that some future Ontario govem- looking at a reorganization?” he asked. “its future actions. merit. who have proposed corn- meni 3N!” deCide we must amalga- absolutely unnecessary." 1 But Waterloo Mayor Brenda llalloran said she liming the seven municipalities mate. he said. Council. after some discmsion. rewrote Tucci's ) can’t participate in that Type Of process without it that make up Waterloo region into Hutton eschewed the benefits motion to set the matter aside for one year and 1 being open and transparent. a single-tier government. present; of amalgamation. including more instead opted m leave the timing of any further “It has to involve me voices 0f the citizens of ed their case to councrllors. efficient semce delivery and cost debate open. Council has also directed Craig to go this municipality." said llalloran. "I feel very ”'9 group wants ‘0 push amal sayings. ”9 3180 noted that Water to any meeting that might be organized to discuss strongly about that." gamation through before 2010 in loo has something to gain in the theissue to explain the city‘s position. Since the report has been out. llalloran said order ‘0 havea "W model l," place 9'99”? _ . _ Earlier in the meeting Bob Sanders made a she's received no groundswell ”f “1mm” from for the next muniCipal election. Were builtuto the boundaries. presentation to council on the findings of the (lift Waterloo t‘ltlIBDS interested m pushing for munic- But counctllors weren‘t ready to Hutton said. If things stay the Lens For Better Government. which listed three lPal restnicturing. She's taken more calls on back move forward that qurckly and same, In Waterloo the opportunity possible options for local govemment reform, yard chicken (oops than she has on amalgama» Mayor 'Brenda llalloran said the for new development dollars Will They included creatinga single-tier municipal- (ion. (“59mph has ll“ begun dry up._ . , . try. creating a super city involving Kitchener and And M1110 (.Itm‘nS f0! BONE! ”Nemmt'nl said . ”m '8 a “Emma“ Chang" Wh'le 99mm” (11‘1"! ”he a" Waterloo; or creating a single-tier municipality. it is up to local councils to start the process of hem“ proposed. there m" he ““5 officral position 9" (“It‘s propos» which would exclude Cambridge. reform. they don't think a referendum is needed. ofquestions. ‘hf‘ ““1 y “1' delegations d,'d' _ V In the third option. Cambridge would be on its l Bin llalloran said the process shouldn‘t start with- (lBG does"! want the ”9"" Wm?“ ms'dem M'k?(""','01' own and would have to buy services. like policing. out a plebiscite. to hold a. referendum, preferring I)? questioned "I? groups motives The city's Community Leader's Task Force "To me it‘s gm to go to a "he: said llalloran, "it that munitipal'rxilitiuans take the and believed that the decision Ultl/ reported it has found nothing new in the Citizens has I“ be. a democratic process Mame politicians lead. That didnt 5“ well mih (nun mately had to“ rest in the hands of For Better Government's final report. They still comr- and go. but this change is so far reaching at MK" Witmer. , ”‘9 people. if W“ want to d? maintain amalgamatlng the two levels of municir w many levels ”f people‘s lives that PM?” have to I personally don i feel that l something. put it to a referendum. Pd government in Waterloo W0" would reduce m1“ have a mandate to dissolve Water» he told council. the publkis m ‘0 government and would pro Continued on 7 Ion," he said. Witmer was also worr Hill Carter. who moved to duce nocost savings ' 8 ried that the process was moving Continuation" 5 r l [3 Cl 1 I g r i Fe- I ' . r l r. 1 r I! ’7'“ 3 t l . ‘rlfl I, ‘-«!;‘.':;,-. I ~ ' , A an» ‘ h J; _ m r ‘ I V _. . A ._ hi? 7 : J r ’ 77 ‘ g I r ' i I a w ‘