QUEEN’S PARK – In the Legislature today, Niagara West - Glanbrook MPP Tim Hudak introduced a Private Member’s Bill that, if passed, would ensure the Regional Chair of Niagara would be directly elected by Niagara taxpayers beginning with the next municipal election. Currently, only the 30 members of Regional Council out of 427,421 Niagara residents have any direct say over who will be selected as the Regional Chair. Hudak has previously introduced the Bill in November 2006, but it died when the election was called. He hopes to reignite debate and see the Chair directly elected in time for the 2010 municipal election.

“If passed, this legislation will ensure that the Regional Chair will receive a mandate directly from the people who foot the bill – Niagara taxpayers,” said Hudak. “Direct election of the Chair will strengthen the Chair’s hand in securing a better deal for Niagara from the Province or Federal Government.”

The direct election of the Regional Chair has been implemented successfully in two other regions of similar population to Niagara: Waterloo and Halton. Waterloo began electing their Regional Chair in 1997. Ken Seiling from the small community of Elmira, is the current Chair of the Waterloo Region. The people of Halton elected their first Regional Chair, Joyce Savoline in 2000. The Chair is currently held by Gary Carr.

The November 23, 2006 edition of the St. Catharines Standard quoted Seiling and Carr in support of directly electing Regional Chairs. Seiling said it’s an “an accountability issue" and “a mandate from voters to move the agenda ahead.” Carr said election campaigning for the Regional Chair makes regional issues "front and centre in the election."

The Regional Chair is the head of a government that now spends some $784 million per year, a budget three times as much as those of St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland combined. The Region is directly responsible for the delivery of big ticket items such as police, waste management, ambulance services, regional roads and public health.

“A competitive region-wide race for Regional Chair will bring greater focus to regional issues and the Region's use of tax dollars,” said Hudak. “Candidates for Regional Council will then take a more prominent stage to pronounce where they stand on regional issues and press their own plans for a better Region of Niagara.”