County of Brant Responds to Amalgamation Report

The County of Brant is issuing the following statement in response to the report recently released by City of Brantford Mayor Davis, authorized using his Strong Mayor Powers, outlining the financial costs associated with an amalgamation of the County and the City.

The report correctly highlights that the County and City are distinctly different municipalities. In the County, these distinctions are what make us unique and why our residents have been passionate in sharing their opposition to amalgamation each time it has been raised by the City’s political leadership.

“While we acknowledge that the report is founded largely on assumptions, we are pleased that Mayor Davis has concluded that amalgamation is not the answer for the residents of the City, as we have long been aware it is not the answer for the residents of the County of Brant,” said County of Brant Mayor David Bailey.  “This is a position we have consistently maintained since this report was directed to be completed by Mayor Davis using his Strong Mayor Powers. We are ready to move on from this conversation and focus on what matters to our residents.”

Throughout the report, the insinuation that County residents would benefit from enhanced levels of service, particularly around emergency services, highlights a lack of understanding about how the County delivers services to residents. Further, it suggests that our residents are not proud of, or have full confidence in, the dedicated first responders who serve our community with excellence and commitment. This aspect, along with the hundreds of County employees who remain focused on serving our community and delivering the highest quality services to our residents, businesses, and visitors, could not be further from the truth, and continues to highlight the differences in providing services to the rural and small urban communities that make up the County.

Finally, we agree that there is room for the County and the City to continue to work together on common goals. County Council and staff collaboration has always been a cornerstone of our relationship with the City, and there are numerous examples of successful partnerships that have benefited both communities. The County’s Secondary Plan to develop a premier industrial area in Cainsville would largely not be possible had it not been included in a legal agreement signed in 2016 related to the most recent Boundary Adjustment between the County and the City. With the County agreeing to provide the City with the desired lands necessary for it to expand, along with providing the City with a large scale user of its existing water and wastewater system, a point highlighted as a benefit in this report, the County can develop lands that create regional economic development benefits. The County looks forward to the City’s final agreement on this matter.

“Looking ahead, we hope this report serves as an opportunity to move forward with a common goal: providing the best possible services to our respective communities,” said Mayor Bailey. “The County of Brant will continue to work collaboratively with the City of Brantford and supports future discussions that are respectful and constructive. When we work together, we can accomplish so much more.”