The Goderich Signal-Star, 1969-05-29, Page 11w
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122nd YEAR- 22
THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1969
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REORGANIZATION `NOT SO URGENT�,IN HURON' - MacNAUGHTON .
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Huron MPP speaks on regional government
I thought your readers might
be interested in some comments
from me on the -topical question
of regional government in
Ontario. From talking to local
constituents, 1 believe there is
considerable .misunderstanding
about the government's
intentions.
Over the past decade, the
Ontario Government has
received a number of
recommendations from various
commissions and from municipal
organizations themselves urging
the government to revise local
government structure,
established a century. ago, in
recognition of the rapid changes
whici have taken place in
communications, transportation
and technology. In other words, -
the request for larger units of
administration isnot new!
At the ,request of
municipalities in fast -growth
.areas, the government
established a number of
commissioner's studies into local
government organization in
those regions where municipal
boundaries were disappearing
under the asphalt and concrete
of urban , devetonment.
these studies have been. it will be some considerable
completed, the government is length of time before regional
proceeding with regional government can or should toe
proposals in full consultation contemplated in Huron, at least
with local officials. before it can be contemplated
As a result of these studies, along the same lines 'as in
the government hat developed • Ottawa -Carleton, Niagara, or
certain guidelines, .which have Halton -Peel', for example. In
been t proposed by the these areas, theurban influence
Honourable, W. D arcy has developed so quickly that
McKeough, Minister of the need for re -organization of
Municipal Affairs, in his recent' local government is more
white paper entitled "Design for
Development. Phase Two.' 'Bhe
Minister emphasized • in that
s t atemen.t that regional
government organization in
slower growth areas will take
place only after more urgent
needs have been met and only
Where citizens who have inquired that,
immediately apparent and more
readily identifiable.
This need to re -organize is
not so urgent in Huron and like
areas of ,the province, which
serves to illustrate, emphatically
I belie r ,, why regional
government cannot --should not,
after ,intensive consultation with°-iri my opinion --be imposed all at
Local officials.
I -believe • you will be aware
-that Huron County Council has
begun to study this question and
I have kept in close touch' with
subsequent activities at meetings
with the minister and officials of
the Department of Municipal
Affairs.
I have advised Huron County
Council and other interested
forward to Huron County's
submissions. The Honourable
Mr." McKeough has stated
frankly that he has no fixed
policy concerning . regional
government functions in ruyal
areas and he not only wants, but
needs, advice from 'the people
Who know local administration
and local needs best.
There -are ' two principal.
'advantages• to regional
government, as I see it. One is a
broadening of the local tax base
to provide-. for more equitable
distribution of both local and
provincial revenues and the,.
development of a broader
community in which services can
be shared and which can
assemble the adrriinistrative
expertise. to enable the province
once on the province as a whole.
Ontario is a vast area. itis so
diverse that what may be
manifestly desirable in one
section simply would not fit or
wort( in another.
Nevertheless, I believe it is
wisp for county council to
consider the,, question now to
ensure that it will have a
comprehensive background of
Tact and opinion to contribute
toward later discussions.
No one knows better than I
that Huron °County .Council is
one of the most efficient
government organizations.- in
Ontario. I believe it can provide
sound, practical advice to . the
provincial authorities and ..I
know that the Minister of
Municipal °Affairs is looking
to return more autonomy to
local officials.
We are all aware of the
growing number of complaints
from local municipal officials
that their responsibilities are
being taken away by the
provincial government. The
frank fact is, and 1 think many
local officials will agree, that
local, municipalities have not
been able to afford properly
qualified .personnel to handle
such functions as planning which
would be better handled at a
regional level than at Queen's
Park. Our objective is to provide
larger units . which can assume
greater responsibilities and
return more autonomy to
community levels.
Why then, some people are
asking, did the province take
over assessment? The answer lies
in the urgent need for tax
reform. ' Property reassessment
was required notonly to correct
Vthe many inequalities 'that now
exist but .also to ensure that.
many -. provincial government
grant programs, now. based on
assessment factors, will be fair to
•each region and - municipality.
This will become increasingly
important as grant levels rise and
as the great program is revised
according . to ' the commitments
in our white paper on tax
reform.
I am also. aware of the
widespread concern' over new
county boards of education. I
suggest, first, that we should not
prejudge benefits of this
program and, second, that we
should be realistic about the cost
factors.
Before this reorganization
took place, the Ontario
Government received
considerable criticism about the
practice of having appointed
secondary school boards
demanding tax revenues from
elected municipal councils. The
new program was designed to
overcome these objections by
having ,the trustees directly
elected by local people and
making them responsible for all
decisions' on 1o61 education
matters. Despite the publicity
which newspapers in Iluron
County gave to the recent
elections, I find that many
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people still believe that the
boarddecision§ are being made
by the Department of
Education.
In regard to. costs, , many
people seem to forget that
education expenditures were
rising each year before the
boards were established and it
would be unfair to expect them
to bring these increases to an
immediate halt. My Budget for
1969 provider] for increased
grants to local boards but this
has not been enough to offset
the cost growth. The recent
financial adjustment program
announced by the Minister of
Education has helped to ensure
that there is a limit to tax
increases in local municipalities.
- tarting next year, the
provincial government will
increase the general level of its
average financial . support to
school boards from the present
45 per cent to 60 , per cent in
three , years. The province
intends to co-operate with
school boards toensure that this
increased assistance is passed
along to local rate -payers.
t suggest that citizens can
expect educational officials to
provide as many benefits as
possible to the children under
their guidance. That is . their
responsibility. By 'the . same.
token, I think it is the right of
the local taxpayers to indicate to.. ..
the educators, through their
elected representatives, the
extent to - which they -will
provide finances for these
services. No board should be a
rubber star'np for its employed
officials and I an confident that
the Huron Board will not be.
Paradoxical as it may sound,
one thing that is constant is
change, particularly in a
progressive society and in a
developing jurisdiction such as
Ontario. The desirable approach,
then, I believe, is not to resist
change, but to make . change
work for us.
Charles S. MacNaughton
Minister of Economics
Treasurer of Ontario and
MPP for Huron
Toronto, May 22
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Outdoor
activities are
going
Minor Soccer is in full swing
The sailing season is getting under way
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The Iast
oats are going into the water.
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Fishermen ,tore out in force on the south dock