Letter to the editor as published in the St. Catharines Standard, January 7, 2023
Regional transit is another good reason for direct election of the regional chair in Niagara.
The transfer of transit budgets from cities to Niagara Region means the Region will be responsible for the largest part of a homeowners’ property taxes. Transit service policies will flow through the transit commission to regional council and budget approvals will flow through regional council. The transit commission chair is selected by regional council.
It’s also a good reason to adopt the double direct city/regional councillors model Niagara Falls city council requested last term and St. Catharines requested the term before. It is the model used in York, Peel, Durham and Halton regions.
City councils need a direct line into regional council on many subjects, transit being the most recent.
Bruce Timms
St. Catharines
See Standard Letter to the Editor