City of Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis issues official statement directing city staff to explore potential amalgamation

Below is a press release issued by the City of Brantford on January 2, 2025. Mayor David Bailey has voiced his strong opposition to the idea of amalgamation. See Mayor Bailey’s official response on page 6. Read next week’s Paris Independent for more thoughts from Mayor Bailey on the subject. In the meantime, email us a Letter to the Editor sharing your opinion – managingeditor@theparisindependent.com

MEDIA RELEASE – BRANTFORD – JANUARY

2,

2025 – Today, Mayor Davis has provided direction to staff under section 284.3 of the Municipal Act, 2001 to explore the potential of amalgamation between the City of Brantford and the County of Brant This direction is intended to provide valuable information to assist The City in building a brighter, more connected future for the region while also addressing key concerns facing the citizens in Brantford. Included in the evaluation will be a consideration of services that have been historically shared that support our communities, including housing, paramedics and recreation. The costs for the report will be financed by the reallocation of funds from the existing 2025 budget and will have no impact on 2025 property taxes.

There have been a number of attempts to resolve differences and to chart a more equitable and efficient way forward between the two municipalities. These attempts include resurrecting the Joint Services Committee, a committee that intended to include representatives and staff from both communities, working collaboratively to identify and resolve key issues impacting both municipalities. Last spring the County voted to dissolve this committee and refused to further participate in elected officials reviewing an expansion of services to be provided jointing or cooperatively. The City attempted to establish a similar committee in 2019; The County of Brant voted against establishing or joining at this time as well.

Over and over, citizens of Brantford have voiced their concerns and need for better transportation planning to connect West Brant with the 403 and other parts of the city The issue remains a paramount concern for residents, particularly in the South West portion of the City, where enormous growth has been experienced. The City has attempted, on several occasions, to work The County to resolve this regional issue working collaboratively This has included joint delegates with the Ministry of Transportation, which the County refused to participate in. Refusal to work together and plan alternate solutions has left the City with no solutions outside of Oak Park Road Another area that deserves closer examination is aquatic services. Currently, more than 30% of those using the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre Pool are County of Brant residents, as there is no indoor pool in the County. However, County residents do not contribute through their property taxes to the annual $1 5 million operating deficit for this facility. This creates and imbalance where City taxpayers are covering the costs of this shared resource. Addressing this could help ensure a fairer and more sustainable approach to delivering this valuable service. As both communities continue to grow, it’s important to explore the most cost-effective and efficient options for service delivery. “We must move beyond invisible boundaries and consider the benefits a regional approach can offer to our residents,” says Mayor Kevin Davis. This is only the beginning of a thoughtful and collaborate process We’ll be conducting a thorough, independent review to explore the potential benefits and challenges of regional amalgamation, with the intention of sharing this report with Members of Council, and other levels of Government in the Fall of 2025.