Ken Seiling 'disappointed' by outcome of Ontario's regional government review

Former Waterloo region chair Kein Seiling is disappointed the province didn't follow more of his recommendations in the recent regional government review report.

He served as special adviser to the province for the regional government review and isn't happy with the results.

Seiling says he and fellow special adviser Michael Fenn offered up suggestions to Minister of Municipal Affairs Steve Clark on ways to improve governance and service at the municipal level.

Last Friday, Clark announced the province would not be forcing amalgamation on any municipalitybut did offer funding to audit financial books and review how services are delivered.

"It's fair to say I'm disappointed, and I've told the minister that when he called me to tell me what they were doing," Seiling said. "We did a lot of good work and gave them a lot of good material, a lot of good recommendations to improve governance in Ontario municipal governments."

The province needs strong municipal partners, Seiling said, and to make that happen, change is needed.

"We gave them recommendations to improve accountability, improve performance of political bodies, how they should be structured. We talked about how service could be delivered," Seiling said.

"I wasn't the same for everything, and there were lots of choices that they could have taken out of the recommend."

'A changing beast'

Seiling and Fennspent more than eight months consulting local politicians, groups and citizens in 82 different municipalities to compile their report for Clark. That report arrived on Clark's desk on Sept. 20.

Seiling says he's made no secret that he believes municipal governments are "a changing beast," and they need "to be adapted to the times."

"I think that the history has been, up to date, is that municipalities do not reform themselves easily or at all," he said.

He saysit is up to municipalities to take hold of what the province has offered in terms of financial help toreview financial books and services, but there will be those that don't take advantage of that.

"Now it's in local hands, and we'll see where they run with it," he said.