Cobourg Mayor Asks County Council to Consider Dissolving the County
By Cecilia Nasmith/Northumberland 89.7 FM/Today’s Northumberland
As Northumberland County ponders a study on whether amalgamation could be a cost-saving measure and looks at the options (dissolving all lower tiers or some cost-sharing arrangements), Cobourg council has voted to ask them to consider a third option – the dissolution of the county itself as the upper-tier government.
Mayor Lucas Cleveland put the motion on the floor that council “express support and significant interest” in such a study, decrying the first two options as the county thinking it knows best. To take the county out of the equation would mean provincial funding goes directly to the lower tier municipalities with no middle man.
As the biggest lower-tier, he said, Cobourg should be able to expect a certain level of representation in fiscal matters, but it’s not happening. For example, Cobourg with 23% of the county’s population gets one vote on county council, as does Cramahe Township with 6%.
And with both provincial and Federal elections on the horizon, he said, “I don’t think it’s wrong to say Mr. Poilievre will become our next Prime Minister. I would encourage everyone to start reading some of the municipal plans Mr. Poilievre has.”
To sum it up, he said, the CPC leader believes in deregionalizing governments.
Cleveland made several references to fighting for two years to get county council to the point of even considering alternative structures.
There was some discussion of what an independent Cobourg might look like, having to take on the cost and administration of such county services as ambulance, waste collection and social services. But Cleveland said this is not the time to get bogged down in such details – just to ensure that the option is included in the event such a study proceeds.
“It’s not agreeing. It’s not suggesting. It’s asking the county to add a third option,” he insisted.
Cleveland added his own opinion that the county will not want to include that option “because the majority of the county’s municipalities require the Cobourg tax base to fund their operations. They know, without Cobourg, they would not be able to provide the level of services they have become accustomed to.”
Funded, he added, by the $17.3-million a year the Cobourg tax base sends to the county.
“At present, there are probably several municipalities in Northumberland County that would not be able to exist without Cobourg,” he said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind the county will say no.”
No one can know at this time what the alternative might look like, he added, “but the fact that we are not asking those questions is the problem.”
As an example of the disrespect to the town, he pointed out that there had not been a warden from Cobourg in nine years – though Cobourg Mayor John Henderson was offered the post last council term, and declined in order to focus on Cobourg issues.
Councillor Adam Bureau said that this is just not a problem he’s hearing from constituents.
“The majority I talk to doesn’t view this as an issue,” Bureau stated.
Cleveland’s original motion had the inclusion of this third option as “a sole condition” of supporting the county’s study. He agreed to remove that phrase from his motion, though he made clear that Cobourg council at least retains the option to refuse to participate in the county’s study if the county does not include that option.
The mayor reiterated some highlights of the troubled history of the town and the upper tier, such as the Cobourg Police Service refusing to co-operate in a study the county initiated to try to find more cost-effective delivery of policing county-wide. And, of course, there was the year-long stand-off as Northumberland County made plans to open a homeless shelter at 310 Division St. and the town passed its Emergency Care Establishments bylaw with conditions the county found onerous.
“Have we forgotten what we went through this past year with our ECE?” he asked.
“Our staff put together a good bylaw, and the county fought us tooth and nail and finally admitted it was a good bylaw and are following it,” Councillor Brian Darling agreed.
“I see one of those situations where this hurts us. I agree the question has to be asked.”
Northumberland County has given municipalities until March 3 for input before county council votes on whether or not to proceed with this study.
“What happened in the past is in the past,” Cleveland said.
“I think it’s going to be important to showcase to our constituents in Cobourg that this council is open to looking at solutions to reduce our tax burden.”
