Amalgamation is a fiasco: Fraser Institute

Amalgamation happened against people's will and not only in Toronto, but also in Montreal. Its promise of cost savings did not materialize.

Most of our members have fond memories of North York, “the city with heart” and that is why we borrowed when we chose our slogan to be “the neighbourhood with heart”. Here’s what we learn from Fraser Institute, considered a right-wing think tank:

• The Fraser report also details the divisions in Toronto illustrated by last year’s municipal election, when the suburban viewpoint embodied by the Ford brothers carried places such as Etobicoke and Scarborough, while those in the central part of the city largely supported Mayor John Tory (open John Tory's policard)’s more urban mandate.
• Beyond the cultural divisions, Miljan says amalgamation has not necessarily achieved the cost savings it was supposed to.
• “Unfortunately, we found that it sounds good on paper; certainly you saved a little bit of money by having fewer mayors and municipal councillors, but what people quickly realized was, that is not the biggest ticket item.”
• She says, for example, staffing costs often go up when municipalities amalgamate because jobs are not eliminated and salaries are brought up to the levels of those in the largest cities.
• Miljan said her findings about differing political values being forced together under amalgamation are highlighted by the situation in Peel. “That controversy in Peel I think underscores these bigger debates that need to be had.”

Sources / More info: tst-gta

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