Midhurst/ December 7, 2009 – Simcoe County Council took a giant step forward last Thursday, bringing together 16 member municipalities and the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia in order to discuss growth issues and potential partnerships for co-operative service delivery.
Simcoe County Warden Tony Guergis called the meeting a monumental event that ignited a new spirit of co-operation for all municipal leaders in Simcoe County.
“This was truly a watershed day for Simcoe County,” stated Warden Guergis. “It was tremendous to have all 18 municipalities together in our Council Chamber working to find efficiencies. It is very significant for us to meet and talk about ways we can all work together for the greater good of all our residents.”
The meeting included a question and answer session with provincial representation during which Councillors voiced concern over delays in the approval process for the County’s new Official Plan. The document was submitted to the province in November 2008.
Councillors unanimously supported a resolution recognizing that the Barrie/Innisfil boundary issue has been concluded and it is time to move forward. In June 2009 the Province of Ontario released its decision to shift Barrie’s border to the south, annexing 5,664 acres of land from the Town of Innisfil.
The resolution went on to state that the County of Simcoe supports the population allocations to Barrie and Orillia and requests an additional allocation of 40,000 people for Simcoe County “in order to ensure the viability of small urban and rural communities.”
“It is time to put the animosity of the Barrie/Innisfil decision behind us,” affirmed Warden Guergis. “We are prepared to move forward and we ask the cities of Barrie and Orillia to support the County and our growth plan.”
In addition, a second unanimously supported resolution directed County staff to work with staff from member municipalities, the separated cities and the development community to report on existing water and waste water systems, future requirements including long term solutions for the co-ordination of service delivery across this geographic area.
“When we all agree to move forward together, I believe success will follow,” concluded Warden Guergis.
The County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.
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