Regional Chair Jim Bradley say he's not surprised Doug Ford thinks there are too many politicians in Niagara.
Ford met with a select group of business leaders this week, and says he was told there are too many layers of political red tape to get jobs done.
While Bradley says he didn't meet with Ford, he did meet with two ministers in charge of conducting a governance review.
The review is looking at how to make regional governments more efficient, including the possibility of amalgamation.
When Ford was asked if amalgamation is a go in Niagara, Ford declined to say, referring to the minister in charge.
He did follow up by saying "too many politicians is not a good thing and it hurts the community" and that the average person in Niagara thinks there are too many politicians.
Bradley says politician representation represents democracy, and he points to a recent book/study by Western University's Andrew Sancton "Merger Mania".
The book finds amalgamation doesn't always save money for the taxpayer.