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page§$ __:____________ _ _ _ __ tupisprammasgr;_ _ Amal tion brought benefits to Bright d Cramahe councils ® e e e # e Efficiencies found in communications and in streamlined operations »~***> by KAI HULSHOF a number of services anyâ€" know what‘s going on. It is tion," others defended the The Independent way. There were only a couâ€" _ hard to get the overall perâ€" â€" position of some local govâ€" If the goal of amailgamaâ€" ple of areas that were not â€" spective," said Williams. ernments that not all servicâ€" tion was to save time and joint" said Don O‘Neill, _ Amalgamation has es "possessed economies of money in the municipalities _ chief administrative officer â€" meant revenues are pooled â€" scale," making it necessary of Brighton and Cramahe, for . the â€" municipality of _ in the treasury of one local for a higher level of governâ€" consider the operation a Brighton. government. This has ment to underwrite those qualified success. "We were tripping over allowed the municipalities â€" costs. Two years after amalgaâ€" each other anyway," says Both mayors said there mation took effect, thing$ Rinalgj, e are little savings as a result R appear to be running effiâ€" Both mayors feel they & _ of amalgamation, because ciently and slightly cheapet, are able to deliver an equal $ _ _ _ l there is no real change in with few complaints from â€" of higher level of service for . [R _ _ _ _ BR actual makeup of the townâ€" taxpaying citizens in either â€" Jess cost in all facets of the -’3‘..;;; ships ... only in the boundâ€" | community. More iMPO _ municipalities. In fact, not | % CC M ary lines on a map. The | tantly to taxpayers, there much has changed at all. _ R@e@f ” _______ § costs remain the same to has been little or n0 pop instance, in the first year _ |_,, \;‘M, run them. Naturally, there ‘ increase in taxes as a result . pf amalgamation, Brighton â€" EP %%,:fig‘t;f\ were fluctuations in costs, | of amalgamation. used the exact same personâ€" / C af but they generally equaled "I guess when you put the â€" nel and routes to remove / Wwo o. out, said â€" Rinaldi. For whole thing in a pot the snow from the roads, said _‘ __â€"yÂ¥e s OM _ |_ instance, there were cost best way for me to measure â€" pinalg;, _1E â€"| savings when Brighton realâ€" it is that we didn‘t have to _ mut what e the advan se ized they had three backâ€" increase our tax rate. That‘s tages of amalgamation? Are Don O‘Neill hoes after amalgamation. really the measure of sucâ€" there any disadvantages? to take on more major The village of Brighton, . cess," said Brighton MayOr â€" wWhat are the cost savings? . tasks by budgeting for par the township of Brighton Lou Rinaldi. Where do the efficiencies ticular projects out of the and public utilities each had Rural Cramahe residents â€" 1;29 total revenues. Where a _ their own. The newly amalâ€" had a tax increase, while citâ€" Primarily, the goal of road project might have gamated Brighton decided izens of the village of amalgamation _ is _ to â€" taken two years to finance _ to sell one. Colborne experienced â€" a streamline the bureaucratâ€" â€" before amalgamation, now However, there were costs decrease. _ Mayor _ Jim ic processes, said O‘Neill. municipalities can afford associated with amalgamaâ€" Williams said he heard Yery â€" rewer â€" elected officials to take on the project all at _ tion as well. The increased little about the changes. means decisions tend to be â€" once. labour force meant the "People understood. It made quicker. â€" Brighton "We‘re able to do larger _ municipality fell under differâ€" wasn‘t a large increase in reduced council strength projects now. For example, _ ent employment regulations. the first year. It was probaâ€" from 12 to 7. members. In _ we‘re spending more money This resulted in a signifiâ€" bly about two per cent. The Cramahe, council has been in our summer road conâ€" cant increase in payroll, village of Colborne went reduced by hall. struction than we have done _ Rinaldi said. down about one per cent," _ wiltiams feels that hayâ€"â€" for some _ time," said _ "Basically, the same faces, he said. ing all members of council _ Williams. the same numbers. But f For the: municipality Of imyolved in all facets of the In studies conducted by because of the pay equity Brighton, the change was township gives perspective. the provincial government exercises we had to go much simpler than other | After amalgamation, . since the beginning of 2001 through, _ our _ payroll regions in Ontario. Before things became â€" easier most Ontario communities â€" increased by $100,000," he I voluntarily amalgamating, â€" pecause there was only one reported that they encounâ€" said. the two areas shared the council and very few comâ€" _ tered very few difficulties in In the end, amalgamation responsibilities Of PrOvidin8 _ myitreeg, The ease of comâ€" _ the areas of collective agreeâ€" has had little impact on the a fire department, parks and _ munication makes projects ments, water and sewer communities of Brighton f recreation and building Offiâ€" _ cagier, he said. issues, realignment of propâ€" and Cramahe. While the cials. â€" That meant there "It‘s a lot more work for erty taxes, or the increased _ processes are more efficient, were already clear lines of individual _ members of _ workload on smaller councils _ there are little savings to be communication in place council, but there are cerâ€" as a result of amalgamations. had for . the taxpayers of when it came to providing tainly efficiencies there â€" _ While some studies sugâ€" Brighton and Cramahe. the remaining services like efficiencies in communicaâ€" gested smaller governments "Basically, we provide the public works and adminis | fop and in terms of having were "unprofessional and â€"same services, some of them (â€"; tration. an overall perspective. If inefficient," and "viewed as enhanced, for the same rate \) "To be honest, the tÂ¥0 _ you tend to work by comâ€" a source of weakness that as before amalgamation," municipalities were sharing mittee, you don‘t really would prevent coordina said Rinaldi. esns e n