So, once again, here we are talking about municipal governance structure and the possibility of amalgamation in Waterloo Region. The Ontario government has embarked on a review of Waterloo Region to find "opportunities to improve regional governance and service delivery."

Well let's talk it out, I say. Let's take the opportunity for a frank discussion. The timing, in my opinion, couldn't be better. Why?

Because times change. Circumstances change. And most importantly, our community, region and municipalities have changed — but our fundamental structure has not changed, not for 46 years.

The Region of Waterloo is now the tenth largest community in Canada, having a population of 600,000. Many citizens already view us as one community, yet we have eight independent local councils comprised of 59 elected individuals filling 66 positions.

The politicians and the citizens of our community have dealt with this governance issue many times over decades. Some progress has been made by aligning services but we are still restricted in how much can be done within a two-tier governance structure. Our community has had some successes in spite of the current structure, rather than because of it. At the same time opportunities are missed in this region because presentations and agreement must be sought with multiple municipal councils on issues of common interest.

In early February, the heads of all councils stated "that communities within Waterloo Region are working well under the current two-tier system in terms of governance, decision-making and service delivery." But they failed to say that most of our collective successes forced staff and politicians to devise complex "workarounds" of the system. Yes, we are fortunate to have a spirit of collaboration in our community, but these workarounds remain a waste of time, energy and money.

We need one government that is responsible for the delivery of all local services.

We need one local government administration to make more timely decisions.

We need one land use planning policy instead of eight city/township/region plans.

We need one Emergency Plan instead of eight.

We need one fire service instead of the existing seven.

We need one library system.

We need one arts, culture and heritage plan to harmonize all services and facilities.

We need one local government with one set of bylaws.

We need one local government that shares assessment growth and property taxes.

We need one local government that welcomes all residents to utilize all facilities and services.

Whether or not we like it, change has already occurred in many other provincial communities, and definitely changed in national and global cities, which are our competitors in an economic sense.

And we must understand that this region's companies compete in a global environment. Amalgamation and a common regional name would create a more robust global identity, a powerful tool for recruiting talent and attracting capital.

I am well aware that some people who oppose an amalgamated local government feel parts of our community may lose their identity. However, this discussion is only about the amalgamation of local governance, not communities.

In fact, I believe that there is an opportunity for new or renewed local identity with existing names of neighbourhoods, villages or cities. Even today, residents in Woolwich Township refer to their home as Elmira, St. Jacobs or Breslau; in Waterloo, residents refer to their neighbourhood such as Beechwood, Eastbridge or Uptown; in Cambridge, residents refer to previous areas such as Preston, Hespeler or Galt; in Kitchener, residents refer to their neighbourhood such as Stanley Park, Forest Heights or Bridgeport.

As well, I have heard it said that the rural areas or townships feel they might be in danger of losing their unique identity, even their lifestyle. I clearly remember the discussions during the revisions to the Regional Official Plan several years ago. At that time the 11 urban regional councillors voted along with their four rural colleagues and the regional chair to unanimously approve the countryside line. The urban representatives' support of protecting agricultural land and our region's rural lifestyle should speak volumes — that all our geographic areas are valued by residents, no matter where they live.

I am speaking as a citizen by drawing upon my 26 years of personal experience as a councillor and mayor. I believe now is the time to change our governance structure to equip this community for the future. There may never be a perfect moment to change. Let's embrace this as an opportunity, rather than a threat, an opportunity to reinvent our community, an opportunity to update and polish its brand and give everyone here the means to be part of something bigger, something important, fresh, new.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

The truth is, amalgamated or not, we'll always be from the communities, villages and neighbourhoods we call home.

Carl Zehr was the mayor of Kitchener from 1997 until 2014.

- Review of governance in Waterloo Region is a complete and utter travesty, says former Cambridge mayor Doug Craig