K-W leaders meet 'individually' with Ontario municipal review advisers

Mayors of K-W communities and the regional chair each met "individually" with the province's appointed advisers looking into Ontario's municipal government structure on Thursday, an official from the City of Kitchener said.

• NEED TO KNOW: CBC coverage of the Ontario municipal review
• Short timeframe for regional review may signal little will change, Kitchener mayor says

The city said in a release thatthe province's advisersMichael Fenn and Ken Seilingare "mandated to conduct initial interviews with all regional and local heads of council in early 2019 to elicit their views on an individual basis and to prepare for group consultations in spring 2019."

According to the release, the regional leaders asserted that "communities within Waterloo region are working well under the current two-tier system in terms of governance, decision-making and service delivery" but are open to ideas to improve, optimize and reduce cost ofmunicipal services.

• What the municipal review might mean for Waterloo Region

Also, Waterloo region officials asserted that "the province must provide a meaningful opportunity for local municipalities, local residents and local businesses to come together to help define our community's own path toward any outcome the province decides upon, versus a provincially mandated change."