NEWS CLIPPINGS POSTED AFTER JAN 1ST , 2006
IN THE IMPORT NEWS
ARTICLE BY PAUL BASWICK JAN. 18 , 2006
IN NIAGARA THIS WEEK
ARTICLE BY DOUG DRAPER DEC. 2 , 2005
IN NIAGARA THIS WEEK
ARTICLE BY DOUG DRAPER JAN. 13 , 2006
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
ARTICLE "VIEWPOINT"
JAN. 6 , 2006
IN THE FORT ERIE NEWS
ARTICLE By John Vessoyan Staff
SEPT 30 , 2005
Fort Erie Wants Out: Council
Councillors approve move after heavy debate
FORT ERIE -- The town is a small step closer to being removed from the Regional Municipality of
Niagara, but that didn't happen without prolonged debate and verbal jousting among council members
Monday night.
A motion was unanimously carried by councillors at the council meeting to place a question on next year's
municipal ballot asking Fort Erie residents if they support the town establishing itself as a stand-along,
single tier municipality by December 1, 2009.
The motion also proposes town staff to prepare a report that states what services the town would need to
provide as a single tier municipality.
Staff is also responsible in providing adequate information to residents so they can make an informed
decision in response to the question.
But, at times during the debate, it seemed it was more important who's name was behind the issue,
councilor Richard Berry or Mayor Wayne Redekop, than the issue itself.
Berry, who made the proposal last fall to divorce Fort Erie from the region, said he felt his motion wasn't
handled correctly when brought forward about a year ago.
Berry said he didn't feel council, including Redekop, supported his proposal at that time. However, Berry
said he believed the mayor is behind the issue now because he wants residents to have something else to
think about and forget about more pressing issues he hasn't addressed such as the flooding of Crescent Park
and high taxes.
"He doesn't have the support he used to have," said Berry in an interview. "People are starting to wake up
and he's going to get something exciting going."
Berry calls it an election tactic on behalf of the mayor.
"Until that came up I didn't know whether or not Mayor Redekop is running again. Now, in my mind, it is
confirmed he is running again," he told council.
"It really doesn't matter who brings the motion forward," said Redekop.
"The elements of the motion are what's important. I would have thought if the mayor brought it forward,
that would be a signal to the community, the region and the province that this is an important issue for the
people of Fort Erie and for this council.
"But, you know, if it's more important for Councillor Berry to have his name as the mover of this motion,
I'd be happy to have Councillor Berry move the motion."
Without further debate, the proposal was approved with Berry as the head.
Both Berry and Redekop do agree on one thing, and that is separation would benefit the town.
"We'd have control of our destiny," Berry said. "Right now, we don't. It would reduce our taxes by 40
percent. We have the capabilities of doing it now, if the right council is here."
Redekop said services delivered locally are more efficient than what the region provides.
"There's definitely greater accountability because the service deliver is within the community, and I believe
we're more responsive," he told Niagara this Week after the meeting.
"We've spent a lot of time and energy over the past year, specifically to reorganize our administration to
focus on efficiently, accountability, responsiveness and that's what people are paying for. The government
delivers a service, provides services and I believe that our municipality at 30,000 people, is large enough
that it can manage these services, in many cases, more efficiently than an upper level of government."
The provincial government didn't approve Fort Erie's proposal of placing the question on the ballot.
Town staff will examine the issue and make recommendations on how to resubmit the proposal to the
province and develop other ways to get town residents' opinion regarding separation.
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
ARTICLE By MARK TAYTI Tribune Staff
November 25, 2005
Governance off the table for this term
Region resists change
THOROLD - Regional council has slammed the door on any further
discussion this term that would reshape regional government.
Some felt that trying to change the council’s composition would be
futile exercise, given that it is a child of the province.
Others felt the time would better be spent working with the
municipalities to further the region’s position as a whole.
Whatever the reason, members who attended last night’s regional council
meeting were solidly behind a report from chair Peter Partington
that called for advancing the region’s agenda “through effective
listening, through co-operation and through collaboration.”
Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop, who is a vocal critic of how the region
operates, said debating the issue at all is a complete waste of time.
“Changing the composition of regional council is like changing the deck
chairs on the Titanic,” Redekop said. “We’d like to leave.”
That aside, Redekop said regional council has an obligation to be both
efficient and responsive to the residents of Niagara.
“The dialogue that has taken place with the mayors and the chair has
created more positive energy than anything that has happened in 35
years,” he added.
St. Catharines Coun. Jamie Almas said what unifies the region is “we
are all discontented.”
He said the discussions around his family table centre on the fact
“municipal government is broken.”
He said as long as cities and towns pass motions about divorcing
themselves from the region and council argues over such things as
composition, Queen’s Park is off the hook for resolving the real
problems that exist.
“It’s a waste of time,” he said. “There is no desire…let’s get on with
what we were elected to do.”
Grimsby Coun. Debbie Zimmerman supported Partington’s report.
“There are other issues that are very pressing,” Zimmerman said,
referring to this week’s job losses at General Motors in St.
Catharines.
“I want to spend our time effectively,” she said. “It’s not a priority
for me right now.”
Pelham Mayor Ron Leavens said the size of regional council is not as
important as how the people around the table work together.
He said Partington’s report was on the right track.
“We are here to deliver efficient and cost-effective services to the
residents,” he added.
Fort Erie Coun. Doug Martin said the concerns he hears from
constituents revolve around getting fair value for the dollars
being spent.
He said regional members should not be fighting with one another, but
focus the fight where the problem lies.
“We have to tell the powers that be that we can’t afford the province
or the feds dumping any more on us – we just can’t afford it.”
Partington said it is not in the best interest of council to review
representation by population or any other reshaping of the council
“for the remainder of the term.”
His report received overwhelming support.
IN NIAGARA THIS WEEK
ARTICLE BY DOUG DRAPER JAN. 13 , 2006
IN THE EVENING TRIBUNE
WHAT READERS SAY
ARTICLE BY JOSEPH NAGY (WELLAND)
DEC. 3 , 2005
IN THE EVENING TRIBUNE
ASSESSMENT ARTICLE BY CATHY DIPLOCK (SHERKSTON) NOV. 26 , 2005
Mayor Gord Harry
PHONE: (905) 899-2625EMAIL: gharry@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderman Evan Main PHONE: (905) 899-2633 or (905) 899-1250 EMAIL: emain@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderman Patrick Robson EMAIL: probson@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderwoman Barbara Henderson PHONE: (905) 386-0977 EMAIL: bhenderson@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderman Rudy Warkentin PHONE: (905) 899-1358 EMAIL: rwarkentin@township.wainfleet.on.ca MPP -ERIE-LINCOLN TIM HUDAK , MPP PHONE: (905) 382-0322 FAX : (905) 382-0315 EMAIL: timhudak@niagara.net MPP JOHN MALONEY PHONE: (905) 788-2204 FAX : (905) 788-0071 EMAIL: malonj@parl.gc.ca PROJECT MANAGER , Regional Niagara BOB STEELE EMAIL: bob.steele@regional.niagara.on.ca
They are listening and know we aren't going away!
Here's hoping for some changes to the problems .
