As government representatives continue to collect feedback on governance review, Brock University's Niagara Community Observatory takes a look at what 'One Niagara' could really mean.
The idea of amalgamation has been floating around as Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly criticized the number of politicians in several regions, including Niagara.
Niagara's 13 municipalities are represented by 126 councillors but officials with Brock's NCO say smaller government may not be the fix.
While they say 'too many councillors can frustrate meaningful discussion', they also note too few can limit citizen access to councillors and reduce diversity around the horseshoe.
The report also argues that past amalgamations have not saved money or reduced taxes, but there can be other reasons to merge.
The full document, 'Under the Knife & Under the Gun: An Overview of Regional Government in Niagara' is available online.
“The purpose of the brief is to provide factual information to inform the discussion on this important issue,” says David Siegel, Professor of Political Science at Brock and author of the policy brief.
To listen to Siegel's interview with CKTB's Matt Holmes on the subject, click here.
A government issued public survey on the governance review can also by found by clicking here.
The deadline to fill out the survey is April 23.