To amalgamate or not? Brant County and Brantford mayors pick sides [Video]

The mayors of Brant County and Brantford are at odds over the idea of amalgamation.

In a social media post on Jan. 2, Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis announced he had asked city staff to “explore the potential of amalgamation between the City of Brantford and the County of Brant.”

He said the goal was to find the most efficient ways to deliver services, including the responsibilities that have historically been shared between the two municipalities, such as housing, paramedics and recreation.

In particular, Davis mentioned concerns over transportation to connect West Brant with Highway 403 and other parts of Brantford.

“Currently, more than 30 per cent of those using the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre Pool are County of Brant residents, as there is no indoor pool in the county,” he wrote. “However, county residents do not contribute through their property taxes to the annual $1.5 million operating deficit for this facility. This creates an imbalance where city …